Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin calls for open trade in talks with China’s Xi Jinping, aiming to strengthen economic ties amid EU-China trade tensions.
BEIJING: Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin urged “open trade” in talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Monday.
Martin’s five-day visit, the first by an Irish Taoiseach since 2012, aims to strengthen economic ties with China.
“We believe in open trade, in open relationships and in particular in terms of our trading relationship, we believe it’s fundamental that we try and work towards open trade”, Martin told Xi during talks in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People.
He added that maintaining a spirit of interdependence would allow the relationship to grow and strengthen.
Xi hailed growing bilateral trade and investment between the two countries.
He called for the “long-term, stable development” of ties and expressed hope to strengthen strategic communication with Ireland.
China is Ireland’s largest trading partner in Asia and its fifth largest globally.
Key Irish exports to China include medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, computer services and agricultural products.
Martin is also due to meet with Premier Li Qiang in Beijing before heading to Shanghai.
The visit comes as Ireland prepares to assume the rotating presidency of the European Union in July, against a backdrop of trade tensions between China and the EU.
