Fermanagh and Omagh District Council members voted unanimously at their February general meeting to reject an invitation to visit China at the end of April. The council will not make any further trips to the country during the current mandate.

The invitation arrived in January alongside offers to other Northern Ireland councils. Council members had deferred the decision last month while seeking more details on the itinerary from the Chinese Consulate in Belfast. The consulate provided no additional information.

Past delegations visited China in 2018 and last October with two councillors and one official. Chairman Barry McElduff, who led the October trip with DUP Vice Chair Shirley Hawkes and the chief executive, supported the rejection but stressed maintaining ties, especially the friendly city agreement with Huangshi in Hubei province.

Debbie Coyle cited short planning time as a key issue and proposed a possible future visit in the next mandate. Mark Ovens of the Ulster Unionist Party welcomed the outcome after his party's consistent opposition.

Councillors Adam Gannon and Stephen Donnelly from the SDLP and Alliance parties raised concerns over China's human rights record. All parties backed the decision without a formal vote.