Taoiseach moves on to Shanghai on China visit where the message is the same: Invest in Ireland

Whereas the first half of Micheál Martin's visit in Beijing was about politics and a stronger diplomatic relationship, Shanghai is about the Irish economy

Taoiseach Micheál Martin with Chinese premier Li Qiang in Bejing. Picture: Government of Ireland/PA

Shanghai stands in stark contrast to the Chinese capital Beijing.

Whereas the latter feels like a capital — historically fascinating and functional, if austere in places — the former is more vibrant, more international, buzzier.

In a way, it provides a good backdrop to the second half of Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s visit to China.

Whereas the first half in Beijing was about politics and a stronger diplomatic relationship, Shanghai is about the Irish economy.

In Beijing, Mr Martin met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his second and third most senior allies, with discussions focused on high-level ideas, a new blueprint for relations between the two countries. 

Indeed, much of the Chinese focus was on Ireland as a bridge to the EU, which made the endeavour feel a lot more geopolitical than parochial. 

If this were a discussion about Ireland as a totem for the EU, it would be hard for Mr Martin to give the media specifics on where in Ireland China wants to invest.

Mr Martin ended his time in Beijing with a state banquet held by Premier Li Qiang, the country's second-highest ranking politician. 

China's human rights record

Over lobster soup, the pair discussed a number of issues, including the case of Jimmy Lai. Mr Lai, 77, was arrested in 2020 under a national security law imposed by Beijing following anti-government protests in 2019.

He is being tried on charges of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security and conspiring with others to issue seditious publications. 

Mr Lai founded Apple Daily, one of the local media outlets that was most critical of Hong Kong’s government.

Part of his legal team is Caoilfhinn Gallagher, the Irish human rights lawyer. 

Ms Gallagher last week told Tommy Tiernan on RTÉ One that her involvement with the Lai case had seen her targeted by the Chinese government, something Mr Martin said was "not satisfactory".

I discussed those issues last evening with Premier Li — the Jimmy Lai case, Xinjiang and Tibet, and, as I have before, with foreign minister Wang Yi. I mean, the Chinese have their perspective on this. They give robust defense of their position. 

"I think these are issues that clearly we have raised consistently, as has the European Union with China, and it's very clear that there are two perspectives.” 

Mr Martin also said he had raised the issue of Xinjiang, where China’s policies against Uyghurs and other Muslims have been called tantamount to crimes against humanity.

A UN report, published in August 2022, accused China of “serious human rights violations” in the province.

A 2024 report by Human Rights Watch said Beijing “continues its massive abuses in Xinjiang”, which the agency found does “constitute crimes against humanity”.

Focus on the economy

But in Shanghai, the focus is very much on the economy and what Ireland can gain from closer ties with China.

The day began at the Kerry Group, which has grown from three staff in 1997 to thousands today. 

In the company’s test area, impossibly cool baristas put together non-alcoholic cocktails made with cheese milk powder, and one of kale, coconut milk, and mango designed to look like an Irish flag.

After a stop at his hotel, where he spoke to the press, Mr Martin went to the headquarters of Trip.com, a travel company which on Wednesday signed a memorandum of a strategic partnership with Tourism Ireland, which will see the website promote tourism to Ireland to 400m Chinese people.

While this was, perhaps, the most concrete announcement of the week, the specifics were somewhat unclear, and the company declined to make a spokesperson available to elaborate.

What was left was a photo opportunity with Mr Martin and the company’s co-founder standing behind Tourism Ireland chief executive Alice Mansergh and company vice-president Edison Chen.

As he departed for his hotel, Mr Martin’s motorcade came close to leaving behind several members of his team, who had been facilitated in a boardroom and obviously did not get the message that the fleet of Chinese state cars and police was on the move. 

The group managed to flag down the last of the vehicles and safely returned to the Peace Hotel, where Mr Martin would speak at a business dinner for the Shanghai and diaspora communities.

Here, the pitch was much as it has been all week: Ireland is an open trading economy and a good entry point into the EU. Come and invest.

Despite the change of scenery, there is no change of message.