Sir, - As Mr Zhu leaves Ireland he will, no doubt, have lost his delusion that the rest of the world doesn't care about his regime's flagrant abuse of Chinese people's human rights.
From the massacre of students in Tiananmen Square to the rape of Tibet, we do care.
As the tech sector collapses here, Mr Ahern is clearly eyeing the Chinese market with its 1.2 billion consumers. Unfortunately for him, most Irish people don't agree with the view that human rights can be improved through economic co-operation. In fact, economic co-operation now will further delay democratic freedom for China by strengthening the position of her tyrannical rulers.
Ireland is fast becoming a mini-USA, where everything is ruled by money and economic "growth". America's bizarre policy of separating human rights from trade issues shows that corrupt nation's true colours. The Chinese people will some day be free. The best way for us to help them is to stop buying products which have been made in China and to make it clear to our elected representatives that when you trade with the devil, you lose your own soul. - Yours, etc.,
Gary Byrnes, Editor, Six Mag, Upper Rathmines Road, Dublin 6.