In his first overseas visit of 2024, China’s Premier Li Qiang attended the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the Swiss resort of Davos and paid official visits to Switzerland and Ireland.
The visit to Ireland coincides with the 45th anniversary of the two countries’ establishment of diplomatic relations, but more generally, as the only other European destination chosen by Premier Li around his attendance at Davos, it represents a significant statement by China regarding its friendly sentiments towards Ireland and its keen desire to promote that relationship.
This was further underlined by two unilateral gestures announced during the visit. With immediate effect, China has reopened its market to Irish beef. China suspended imports last year after a routine check detected an atypical BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly known as ‘mad cow disease’) case in a cow. China is Ireland’s fourth largest trade partner, and this move was greatly welcomed by the country’s farming community.
In addition, China added Ireland to its list of countries whose citizens will enjoy visa-free entry.
Following his arrival on January 16, Premier Li held meetings with Irish President Michael D. Higgins and Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar on the 17th.
Premier Li told President Higgins that, although China and Ireland are geographically far apart with different national conditions, they have enjoyed enduring friendship.
In recent years, he added, under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Michael D. Higgins, China-Ireland relations have developed steadily, and bilateral practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results.
The Irish Times further reported that Li praised Higgins as “a seasoned political leader in Ireland [who has] all along attached importance to Ireland-China relations and followed China’s development.”
China, Li said, stands ready to work with Ireland to adhere to mutual respect and equality, and take the opportunity of the 45th anniversary of China-Ireland diplomatic ties this year to further implement the important consensuses reached by the heads of state of the two countries, continuously enhance mutual understanding and trust, fully accommodate each other’s major interests and core concerns, continuously advance the level and boost the effects of cooperation in various fields, and push for greater development of the China-Ireland strategic partnership for mutually beneficial cooperation.
He added that both sides should practice genuine multilateralism, bridge differences through dialogue and resolve disputes through cooperation, so as to push for better global governance, promote common development and inject greater stability and energy into a world rocked by changes and chaos.
President Higgins recalled his state visit to China in December 2014 and his discussions with President Xi Jinping both during that visit and when President Xi visited Ireland as China’s Vice-President in 2012.
The two statesmen agreed on the need for science and technology to be shared where they have the greatest effect, without borders, and that the test for this should be where it can have the greatest benefit for humanity.
In their discussions, the President also recalled conversations which he had with President Xi in 2014 with regard to the interacting crises of climate change, global poverty, food security, global conflict, and the need to recast development to take account of debt.
In his meeting with Leo Varadkar, Li said that China and Ireland have maintained healthy and stable development of their ties since their establishment of diplomatic relations. China is ready to work with Ireland to carry forward traditional friendship, consolidate political mutual trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and share development opportunities more fully, in a bid to bring more benefits to the two countries and the two peoples.
The Chinese Premier expressed his country’s willingness to work with the Irish side to adhere to mutual respect and trust, strive to seek common ground while shelving and resolving differences, deepen mutual understanding, and support each other on major issues.
China and Ireland should continuously expand trade, strengthen cooperation in green and low-carbon development, sustainable agriculture, finance, and other fields, and expand innovation cooperation in digital economy, biomedicine, and artificial intelligence, he added.
Varadkar said that Ireland appreciates China’s great achievements in economic and social development, always abides by the one-China policy, and hopes that China will achieve peaceful reunification at an early date.
Ireland, he added, stands ready to expand two-way investment with China, strengthen bilateral cooperation in such fields as agriculture, food, innovation, and green development, and deepen people-to-people exchanges in education and culture.
The following articles were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency and the website of the President of Ireland.
China, Ireland should jointly practice genuine multilateralism: Chinese premier
DUBLIN, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) — Visiting Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday called on China and Ireland to work together to uphold a free and open international trading system and practice genuine multilateralism.
Li made the call while meeting with Irish President Michael D. Higgins here in Aras an Uachtarain, the official residence of the Irish president.
Though China and Ireland are geographically apart with different national conditions, they have enjoyed enduring friendship as well as highly compatible development concepts, Li noted.
In recent years, under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Michael D. Higgins, China-Ireland relations have developed steadily and bilateral practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results, he said.
China stands ready to work with Ireland to adhere to mutual respect and equality, and take the opportunity of the 45th anniversary of China-Ireland diplomatic ties this year to further implement the important consensuses reached by the heads of state of the two countries, continuously enhance mutual understanding and trust, fully accommodate each other’s major interests and core concerns, continuously advance the level and boost the effects of cooperation in various fields, and push for greater development of the China-Ireland strategic partnership for mutually beneficial cooperation, Li said.
The Chinese premier also pointed out that mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Ireland is promising.
Li said China is willing to deepen cooperation with Ireland in such fields as economy, trade and investment, green development as well as scientific and technological innovation.
He also pledged strengthening people-to-people exchanges in education, culture and other fields to facilitate personnel exchanges between the two countries.
Both sides should work together to uphold a free and open international trading system and maintain the stable and smooth flow of global industrial and supply chains, Li noted.
He said that both sides should practice genuine multilateralism, bridge differences through dialogue and resolve disputes through cooperation, so as to push for better global governance, promote common development and inject greater stability and energy into a world rocked by changes and chaos.
For his part, Higgins said that relations between Ireland and China have maintained a sound momentum of development and both sides have always adhered to mutual understanding and respect.
Ireland stands ready to strengthen friendly communications with China to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, jointly meet climate change, food security, sustainable development and other global challenges, and deepen the friendship between the two peoples so as to promote the continuous and in-depth development of bilateral ties, he said.
President meets Premier Li Qiang of the People’s Republic of China
Jan. 17 (President of Ireland) — Uachtarán na hÉireann, President Michael D. Higgins received H.E. Mr Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, on a courtesy call at Áras an Uachtaráin. Premier Li relayed warm greetings to the President from President Xi Jinping, which were reciprocated by the President.
At their meeting, President Higgins recalled his State Visit to China in December 2014 and his discussions with President Xi Jinping both during that State Visit and when President Xi visited Ireland as China’s Vice-President in 2012.
In their discussions, the President resumed conversations which he had with President Xi in 2014 with regard to the interacting crises of climate change, global poverty, food security, global conflict, and recasting development to take account of debt.
President Higgins further took up some of the points on the five macro-economic principles which Premier Li advanced in his recent special address in Davos. There was agreement between the President and the Premier on the need for science and technology to be shared where they have the greatest effect without borders and there was common agreement that the test for this should be where it can have the greatest benefit for humanity.
The President referred to the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Ireland and China, and in that context noted the value of enabling straightforward dialogue on issues between countries with friendly relations to the benefit of all in a fundamental and long-term sense.
In this regard, the President referenced the forthcoming meetings of the Universal Periodic Review taking place in Geneva, the points that are likely to arise during that process, and gave the background to the Irish position on those matters.
Chinese premier says China, Ireland should regard each other as key cooperative partners
DUBLIN, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) — China and Ireland should adhere to mutual benefit, and always regard each other as key cooperative partners and development opportunities, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Wednesday.
Li made the remarks when meeting with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar at Farmleigh House, the official Irish state guest house, in the Irish capital of Dublin.
During their talks, Li said China and Ireland have maintained healthy and stable development of their ties since the establishment of their diplomatic relations 45 years ago.
In recent years, particularly, under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Michael D. Higgins, the China-Ireland strategic partnership for mutually beneficial cooperation has increasingly deepened, and exchanges and cooperation in various fields have continuously expanded, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples, Li said.
China is ready to work with Ireland to carry forward traditional friendship, consolidate political mutual trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and share development opportunities more fully, in a bid to bring more benefits to the two countries and the two peoples, Li noted.
Li expressed China’s willingness to work with the Irish side to adhere to mutual respect and trust, strive to seek common ground while shelving and resolving differences, deepen mutual understanding, and support each other on major issues.
China and Ireland should continuously expand trade, strengthen cooperation in green and low-carbon development, sustainable agriculture, finance and other fields, and expand innovation cooperation in digital economy, biomedicine and artificial intelligence, making the pie of cooperation bigger, he said.
China will apply unilateral visa-free policy to Ireland to facilitate personnel exchanges between the two countries, Li said, voicing the expectation that Ireland will provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises.
China is willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Ireland within the United Nations and other multilateral frameworks, practice genuine multilateralism, jointly tackle global challenges and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, he said.
It is hoped that Ireland will play a greater role in promoting the sound and stable development of China-Europe relations, said Li.
For his part, Varadkar said that China is an important cooperative partner of Ireland, and the two countries have always adhered to mutual respect and trust.
Ireland appreciates China’s great achievements in economic and social development, always abides by the one-China principle, and hopes that China will achieve peaceful reunification at an early date, he added.
Ireland stands ready to expand two-way investment with China, strengthen bilateral cooperation in such fields as agriculture, food, innovation, and green development, and deepen people-to-people exchanges in education and culture, Varadkar continued.
The Irish side is willing to actively consider providing more convenience for Chinese citizens to visit Ireland, and welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in Ireland, he noted, adding that Ireland supports further deepening Europe-China cooperation.
Prior to the talks, Li attended a grand welcome ceremony held by Varadkar and reviewed the Irish Guard of Honor.
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