Chinese Premier Li Qiang, meeting Irish president in Dublin, calls for increased bilateral relations

Chinese Premier Li Qiang, meeting with Irish President Michael Higgins in Dublin on Wednesday, called for more mutually beneficial cooperation with Ireland as he continued to push for better relations with Europe.

Li, the No 2 Chinese leader, offered to deepen cooperation in trade and investment, green development and technological innovations as well as educational and cultural exchanges.

"Our two countries should jointly safeguard a free and open international trade system, maintain the stability and smooth flow of the global industrial chain supply chain, and practice genuine multilateralism," Li told Higgins, according to a readout by the Chinese foreign ministry.

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"We should bridge differences through dialogue, resolve disputes through cooperation, promote the improvement of global governance, promote common development, and inject greater stability and more positive energy into a world of turbulence and chaos," he was quoted as saying.

According to China's state broadcaster CCTV, China will also unilaterally grant visa-free treatment to Ireland "to facilitate exchange of people of the two countries".

During their discussions, Higgins raised human rights issues with Li, mentioning topics which are likely to be discussed at the United Nations Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review on China later this month, according to a statement by his office.

"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," the statement said, without elaborating.

Beijing has taken Europe as a focus of diplomacy recently as its relationship with Washington remains jittery. And China's human rights record remains a frequent point of attention in European capitals.

Li's visit to Ireland was the first by China's leadership in nine years. His predecessor, Li Keqiang, visited Ireland in 2015. Before that, President Xi Jinping visited the country in 2012 when he was vice-president.

Li travelled to Switzerland and addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos before he arrived in Dublin on Tuesday for the two-day visit.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Ireland. In his remarks, Li described the relationship as "fruitful", saying the partnership has great prospects and potential.

"[The China-Ireland relationship] has become a model of friendly relations and win-win cooperation among countries with different histories and cultures and different political systems," he said.

Following the meeting with Higgins, Li had a working lunch with Irish Taoiseach (prime minister) Leo Varadkar at Farmleigh House, the state guest house. They discussed bilateral cooperation topics as well as global issues and EU-China relations.

Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar with Li ahead of their discussions on Wednesday at Farmleigh House, the official Irish state guest house, in Dublin. Photo: Xinhua alt=Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar with Li ahead of their discussions on Wednesday at Farmleigh House, the official Irish state guest house, in Dublin. Photo: Xinhua>

Among all European Union member countries, Ireland is the only one holding a trade surplus with China.

Speaking ahead of Li's visit, Varadkar said he looked forward to "in-depth and constructive discussion" on issues.

"China is an important economic partner, a permanent member of the UN Security Council and has a huge role to play in overcoming the shared challenges the world faces, including working for peace and security in the world and ensuring we stop climate change," Varadkar said.

Despite strong China-EU trade ties - each is the other's second-largest trading partner - there are also calls in Europe to "de-risk" and reduce reliance on the global supply chain centred in China, given the increasing geopolitical tension.

EU officials are also upset that Beijing has never condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

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