Micheál Martin meets China's Xi Jinping hailing 'long-standing relationship'

Taoiseach Micheál Martin, second right, talks to Chinese president Xi Jinping, third left, during the bilateral meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Picture: AP Photo/Andy Wong, Pool

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, hailing the "deep and long-standing relationship between our two countries".

Mr Martin arrived at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing early on Monday morning, becoming the first Taoiseach since Enda Kenny to meet the Chinese leader.

The two shook hands inside the East Door in the Great Hall before a bilateral meeting, at the beginning of which Mr Martin said that both Ireland and China were "civilisations with great history, great tradition, and our relationship has developed very strongly in a multilateral context, in terms of our commitment to the multilateral rules-based order".

"The relationship between our two countries — particularly in the context of trade, our political relationship, and our people-to-people relationship — has strengthened enormously over the last number of decades," Mr Martin said, referencing Mr Xi's visit to Ireland in 2012. 

Mr Martin said the 2012 visit had laid very strong foundations.

"We have worked very hard to build on that very solid foundation that your visit helped to lay on that occasion."

Mr Martin went on to praise China's role on the world stage.

"We recognise and acknowledge China’s indispensable role in the world today, and the contributions you made to the United Nations in so many aspects of the work of the United Nations — particularly in peacekeeping, something which is a very strong tradition in Ireland also.

"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, recognising the interdependence of the world. 

"We all, to one degree or another, depend on each other. I think if we can maintain that spirit into the future, our relationship will continue to grow and will continue to strengthen."

In his opening statement, Mr Xi said that both Ireland and China were "peace-loving, open-minded, inclusive, self-reliant, and enterprising". 

The people of both countries won national independence and liberation through struggle, and have relied on generations of continuous efforts to move towards modernisation, he added.

He added that China was "willing to strengthen strategic communication with Ireland, deepen political mutual trust, expand pragmatic cooperation, and work together to benefit the people of both countries and add impetus to China-EU relations".

Mr Xi also criticised what he called "unilateral bullying" which he said was "severely impacting the international order".

Mr Martin later visited the Forbidden City in Beijing, leaving a note which thanked his guides for a "most stimulating and fascinating visit which will inspire further study".