Friendly Ireland-China relations reinforced with visit by Tánaiste Micheál Martin

Friendly relations between Ireland and China have been reinforced with a visit by Micheál Martin, Ireland’s Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister), Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Minister for Defence. Martin is also the leader of the Fianna Fáil party, one of the three parties in Ireland’s coalition government.

Martin met with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on November 6, who said that, under the strategic guidance and promotion of the leaders of the two countries, China and Ireland have become a good example of friendly coexistence and win-win cooperation between countries with different histories, cultures, and political systems. Han added that to develop China-Ireland relations, the foundation is solid and the conditions are sound.

Next year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Ireland. The two sides should consolidate political mutual trust, tap the potential of practical cooperation, strengthen public support for friendship, and work together to push for new achievements in China-Ireland mutually beneficial strategic partnerships.

For his part, Martin said that Ireland and China enjoy profound friendship, and cooperation in various fields has expanded in recent years. Ireland is willing to take next year’s 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Ireland and China as an opportunity to strengthen exchanges with China in various fields.

The following day, at the request of the Irish side, Martin, who also met with Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his stay, met with Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) International Department (IDCPC). 

Martin said, Ireland-China friendship has a long history. The Irish side attaches importance to developing relations with China, regards China as an important partner, and hopes to strengthen exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in economy, trade, people-to-people exchanges, agriculture and other fields. As an EU member state, the Irish side is committed to developing robust EU-China relations, adheres to free and open economic policies, opposes “decoupling” from China, and hopes to promote closer cooperation between the EU and China in areas such as climate change and sustainable development. 

Liu said that the CPC attaches importance to maintaining various forms of exchanges with major political parties such as the Fianna Fáil and is willing to enhance understanding and mutual trust and promote the further development of China-Ireland strategic partnership for mutually beneficial cooperation. 

In a fascinating article by its China correspondent Denis Staunton, published on November 8, the Irish Times, Ireland’s most prestigious daily newspaper, reported on the Tánaiste’s visit to the Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU), home to an Irish Studies Centre, which is China’s comprehensive, multi-disciplinary institute in this field.

Reflecting China’s great interest in Ireland and Irish studies, and the country’s great respect for small nations and the great diversity of human civilisations, BFSU, which is one of China’s most prestigious universities, teaches 101 languages and has educated generations of the country’s diplomats, including three former ambassadors to Ireland. The Irish Studies Centre’s programmes cover Irish language, literature, culture, history, politics, and international relations and one of its senior figures, Wang Zhanpeng, is an expert on Brexit.

Staunton reported Zhang Junhan, one of the centres’s lecturers in the Irish language as saying: “Some of the students [who had turned out to greet Martin] are postgraduates from the Irish Studies Centre and the Gaeilge [the Irish language] is one of the modules they must take because we think it’s a source for them to understand Irish culture and society more deeply. There’s another bunch of graduate students from all over the university, from the law school, the business school, other language faculties. They study Irish as an optional module only because they are interested in this language and this country.”

Staunton’s report added: “Last December, Wang [Zhanpeng] and the centre’s director Chen Li went to Dublin to receive the Presidential Distinguished Service Award. Chen has done more to promote Irish writing in China than any other individual, introducing writers such as Anne Enright and Colin Barrett who are now translated into Chinese, alongside many others including John Banville, Colm Tóibín and Sally Rooney.”

He also noted that Martin had been greeted with the performance on the whistle, flute and bodhrán of a number of famous Irish songs and musical pieces. They included The Foggy Dew, one of Ireland’s most famous rebel songs. It can be seen here performed by The Wolfe Tones, the legendary Irish rebel group who this year celebrate their 60th anniversary.

The following reports were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency and on the IDCPC website.