There’s a metaphor often used in diplomatic circles when talking about China’s influence — the idea of an anaconda in the chandelier. Everyone can see it, everyone knows it’s there, but no one wants to acknowledge it, because doing so would mean having to act.
A US professor, by the name of Perry Link coined the term - "the anaconda in the chandelier" - in a 2002 essay in the New York Review of Books. He's recognized as one of the world’s foremost scholars of Chinese language, literature, and political expression and he used this metaphor to describe what he called the pervasive, silent, yet deadly threat of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) control, forcing self-censorship across society, literature, and even diplomacy, where individuals police their own speech and actions to avoid unpredictable and sometimes violent repercussions.
He says that the Chinese government’s censorial authority resembles not so much a man-eating tiger or a fire-snorting dragon but rather a giant anaconda coiled in an overhead chandelier. Normally the great snake doesn’t move. It doesn’t have to. It feels no need to be clear about its prohibitions. Its constant silent message is “You yourself decide,” after which, more often than not, everyone in its shadow makes his or her large and small adjustments—all quite “naturally".
The fear they experience is not a clear and present sense of panic. It's more of a dull, well-entrenched leeriness that people who deal with the Chinese Communist Party system usually get used to, and eventually accept as part of their natural landscape. The controlling psychological power of the fear is what prevails.
Legend has it that Saint Patrick banished all the snakes from Ireland. But by the early 1990s, it would appear that one very large snake had quietly found its way back into the Oireachtas — not as a myth, but as a political reality!
In this special episode of Perspectives with Neilo, we examine how fear of offending the Chinese government has quietly shaped Irish political behavior. For decades, Irish governments have tiptoed around Beijing muting criticism on Tibet, China’s human rights abuses, and support for democracies like Taiwan. We examine how this quiet self-censorship has influenced policy, distorted transparency, and raised troubling questions about economic leverage, political openness, and the resilience of Ireland’s democratic values.
Date of Recording: December 19th, 2025.
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| "The Chinese government’s censorial authority resembles not so much a man-eating tiger or a fire-snorting dragon but rather a giant anaconda coiled in an overhead chandelier". |
DIVE DEEPER
- China: The Anaconda in the Chandelier - Perry Link, The New York Review of Books, April 11th, 2002. Republished by ChinaFile.
- State papers: Government blocked building of submarines in Cork for fear of provoking China - Sean McCarthaigh, Irish Examiner (December 29th, 2022)
- Ireland Unemployment Rate (1991 - 2024) - Macrotrends
- Haughey snubbed Dalai Lama tribute - Irish Independent (Dec 28th, 2012)
- Dalai Lama to visit Ireland in April - The Irish Times (February 1st, 2011)
- Robinson's constitutional challenge was a one-off - Vincent Browne, Magill (October 10th, 2011)
- Kenny pressed on human rights issues ahead of China trip - Sinead O'Carroll, The Journal (March 23rd, 2012)
- The Many "One Chinas": Multiple Approaches to Taiwan and China - Chong Ja Ian, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (February 9th, 2023)
- TDs are warned contact with Taiwan 'will offend China' - Pat Leahy, The Irish Times (October 25th, 2018)
- Closing statement by Josep Borrell Fontelles, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, on the situation in the Strait of Taiwan, extract from the Plenary Session of the EP. (September 13th, 2022)
- McDowell says Ceann Comhairle warned TDs against offending China by engaging with Taiwan - Pat Leahy, The Irish Times (December 1st, 2021)
- Human Rights in China: Motion - Seanad Eireann Debate, Houses of the Oireachtas, December 1st, 2021
- China warns that Irish Huawei ban could harm economic ties between the countries - Arthur Beesley, The Irish Times (November 28th, 2022)
Podcasts you might also like
- Why you should care about Taiwan - Interview with Bill Emmott (August 2025).
- Too Afraid to Trade ? Ireland's Caution on Taiwan - Interview with Deputy John McGuinness (November 2025).
- The Transparency Trap - China's Closed-Door Diplomacy and the Uyghur Crisis - Interview with Dr David O'Brien (November 2025)
Music Credits:
Cinematic Piano Ambient Trailer Soundtrack by Open-Music-for-Videos via Pixabay
Sound Soul (This Logo Reveal) by Diamond_Tunes via Pixabay
Slow immersion by SamuelFJohanns via Pixabay
Tibet by AdvGold via Pixabay
Shining Bright Dusk by FreeSoundServer via Pixabay
Enter the realm - no Piano by SamuelFJohanns via Pixabay
Speeches:
Excerpt from Closing statement by Josep Borrell Fonelles, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission on Sept 13th, 2022, provided courtesy of the European Parliament Multimedia Centre. © European Union, 2022 – Source: EP.
Excerpts from Senator Michael McDowell's speech at Seanad Eireann, Human Rights in China: Motion, Dec 1st, 2021 provided courtesy of the Houses of the Oireachtas. © Houses of the Oireachtas, 2021.
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