The first and deputy first ministers' office breached transparency laws in refusing for nearly two years to release records of a controversial meeting with a Chinese diplomat, a watchdog has found.
Former DUP leader Arlene Foster and Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle O'Neill faced questions in 2020 over whether they had challenged China imposing draconian security laws on Hong Kong.
It followed a report by Belfast's Chinese Consulate which claimed the Stormont leaders had privately endorsed the divisive legislation, which has led to mass arrests in a brutal crackdown on human rights.
