Ireland gambles on China's big tech billions

https://www.politico.eu/article/ireland-big-tech-china-economy/

by vdddv • 2 years ago

6 9 2 years ago

bell-cot2• 2 years ago

Reaction: Is ignorance of history a requirement to hold political office in Ireland? 'Cause last I heard, Ireland's experience with richer / larger / more powerful / more developed nations taking root in Irish soil was rather grim.

EDIT: I wasn't just thinking of China. As the article notes:

Ireland’s budget watchdog, the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council said last year that just three foreign companies contributed around a third of Ireland’s corporate tax revenue from 2017 to 2021. Company filings showed Apple, Google and Microsoft paid the most taxes in 2021.
The Central Bank is also warning of the country’s over-dependence on income tax revenue from a small number of the world’s richest countries.

...which leaves Ireland hostage to a tiny number of foreign corporations, that obviously don't give a crap about the country. And to the foreign tax laws which - for now - allow trillion-dollar corporations to launder their profits through tax-haven Ireland.

eunos• 2 years ago

PLA not opening base on Ireland anytime soon

bdjsiqoocwk• 2 years ago

The CCP actually has institutions[1] present in many western nations. So it's not a crazy thing to be concerned about.

[1] Fine, maybe not the PLA. Still, there's more to power than just military power. If you're naive to think otherwise you'll get infiltrated and realize too late.

mytailorisrich• 2 years ago

They did OK attracting US giants. Attracting Chinese giants as well is a good way to diversify.

bell-cot2• 2 years ago

Perhaps. But maybe they should ask a Chinese historian about the "good old days", when China had a diverse bunch of foreign powers on their soil.

History doesn't actually repeat, but...

computerfriend2• 2 years ago

Neutrality allows Ireland to hedge its political stance. But not taking a position on things like invasions, etc., is morally bankrupt.

Ireland benefits greatly from a strong Europe, which exists due to military aid from the US and some European states to Ukraine. War is coming in Asia and we will see how this goes.

derelicta• 2 years ago

So moral integrity is when one bows to the might of the American Empire?

computerfriend2• 2 years ago

Not necessarily. But nowhere in my comment did I say that.

visitor4712• 2 years ago

"Europe, the U.S. and so-called "like-minded" partners have grown distrustful, too, as they're faced with economic coercion from Beijing, Chinese espionage, cyberthreats and disinformation operations."

omg the "West" gets competition.

"hold the thieve!"

Media is all it needs ...

Ireland gambles on China's big tech billions

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