Micheál Martin: Strengthening Ireland-China Ties on EU Agenda
Micheál Martin travelled to Beijing and Shanghai in early January to strengthen Ireland's political, economic and cultural links with China, meeting senior leaders to discuss trade, education and global issues ahead of Ireland's EU presidency.
Key meetings and purpose
Micheál Martin held bilateral talks with President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Zhiqiang and Chairman Chou Luzhi of the National People's Congress, and met Shanghai Mayor Gong Yong. The programme focused on enhancing political dialogue, trade relations, education partnerships and cultural links.
Trade and economic figures
Martin set these discussions against the backdrop of 2024 trade data: goods exports to China at
C10bn and imports at
C11.8bn, with services exports valued at
C12.7bn and services imports at
C4.7bn. He underlined the governments support for market diversification to boost competitiveness and resilience.
Education, tourism and business ties
The visit included meetings with Chinese state agencies and industry partners in tourism, pharmaceuticals and food and beverages, plus an education showcase where partnership agreements between Irish and Chinese higher education institutions were signed to expand collaboration.
Human rights and multilateralism
Martin raised human rights concerns in his meetings, citing Jimmy Lee's sentencing, the situation of minorities in Xinjiang and the human rights situation in Tibet. He also stressed the importance of a strong multilateral system and predictable trade relations as Ireland prepares for its EU presidency.
Outlook
The Taoiseach described the visit as an important opportunity to build bilateral relations with China and indicated he hopes those links will be expanded in the coming period, balancing economic engagement with principled dialogue on global challenges.
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I travelled to Beijing and Shanghai in early January, the first official visit by a Taoiseach since 2012. While there I met with key political figures and Chinese leaders in a variety of fields including business, tourism and education, with the aim of strengthening our political, economic and cultural links. Ireland's economic and trading relationship with China is informed by our support for accelerating the market diversification agenda as a means to encourage competitiveness and resilience. The latest available data from 2024 shows that Ireland's goods exports to China were valued at €10bn and goods imports at €11.8bn. Services exports to China in 2024 are valued at €12.7bn and services imports at €4.7bn. My programme in Beijing included meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Zhiqiang and Chairman of the National People's Congress Chou Luzhi. In my bilateral meeting with President Xi Jinping, we discussed the strong political, economic and cultural relationships between Ireland and China. We discussed EU-China relations, particularly our trade relationship and Ireland's upcoming presidency of the European Union in the second half of this year. We agreed the importance of international rules and open dialogue, as well as constructive and predictable relations on trade. We also discussed global issues and conflicts, including in Ukraine and the Middle East. I also had a bilateral meeting and a working dinner with Premier Li Zhiqiang, during which we discussed ways to improve collaboration between Ireland and China through our membership of multilateral organisations. I stressed the importance of a strong multilateral system to promote peace and security and to ensure a fair global trading environment. We also discussed political, economic and bilateral relations, including exploring the potential for increased collaboration in areas such as education, tourism and culture. In all of my meetings, I raised a number of human rights issues, including Jimmy Lee's sentencing, the situation of minorities in Xinjiang and the human rights situation in Tibet. My meeting with the Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party was similarly positive. While in Shanghai, I met with Mayor Gong Yong, discussing economic developments in the region and links between Cork and Shanghai, which recently celebrated 20 years of being twinned. We also explored the potential for further cooperation between Ireland and China in a range of areas, including connectivity and transport. While in China, I also had meetings with state agency clients into tourism research and innovation, pharmaceutical and food and beverages sectors. I attended an education showcase where several partnership agreements between Irish and Chinese higher education institutions were signed. These agreements will expand our education collaboration with China, benefiting both Irish and Chinese students. My visit was an important opportunity to strengthen our bilateral relations with China, and I hope these will be built on in the coming period.
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