China News Network, April 4 Comprehensive foreign media reported that on the evening of the 11th local time, US President Biden will arrive in Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, to participate in the 11th anniversary of the signing of the "Northern Ireland Peace Agreement" and pay a state visit to the United Kingdom. However, on the 25th local time, violent clashes occurred in Londonderry, a city in the northwest of Northern Ireland, casting a shadow over Biden's trip.
Before arriving in Belfast, Biden said, "I look forward to the anniversary in Belfast to re-underscore America's commitment to maintaining peace and promoting prosperity," according to the BBC. ”
Infographic: US President Joe Biden. Photo: China News Agency reporter Sha Hanting
According to a previous statement by the White House, Biden will visit Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom on April 4-11, local time, to commemorate the 12th anniversary of the signing of the Northern Ireland Peace Agreement and indicate that the United States will continue to support Northern Ireland's economic development. At that time, British Prime Minister Sunak will hold a meeting with US President Joe Biden.
From the 12th to the 14th local time, Biden will visit Ireland and will go to Dublin, County Loss, and County Mayo. Biden will also address the Irish Parliament to celebrate the "deep, historical" relationship between the United States and Ireland.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair called Biden's trip significant, but he must be "cautious and sensitive" about the influence of the United States on Northern Ireland politics.
"There's a difference between influence and pressure — one positive and the other negative," Blair said. "One thing I've learned is that if you try to force people to do something they simply don't agree with, it's usually in vain."
Just a day before Biden's visit to Northern Ireland, according to Reuters, the Northern Ireland Police said on the 10th that during the march against the Northern Ireland Peace Agreement held in the Northern Ireland border city of Londonderry, some masked people attacked a police car with petrol bombs and other items.
In the area of Kregan, where Irish nationalists gather, four young men threw petrol bombs at an armored police vehicle, one side of which was covered in flames. The crowd dispersed shortly after, and police said no one was injured.
Earlier, MI5 recently raised the level of terrorist threat in Northern Ireland to serious, which means that Biden's visit is highly likely to be attacked.
4 April marks the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Northern Ireland Peace Agreement, also known as the Belfast Agreement. Since the 25s of the 20th century, there have been violent conflicts in Northern Ireland, and the focus has been on some people advocating Northern Ireland's separation from the United Kingdom and integration with Ireland. The Northern Ireland Peace Agreement reached in 60, which largely ended 1998 years of bloodshed in Northern Ireland. However, there is still some sporadic violence by small anti-peace groups.