Irish Examiner view: Micheál Martin's delicate balancing act

Tánaiste Micheál Martin must achieve a balance between polite diplomacy and speaking truth to power on his State visit to China

Tánaiste Micheál Martin and the Irish delegation meeting China's vice president Han Zheng and Chinese officials in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on Monday.

His outspoken views on the Israeli bombardment of Gaza have already ruffled feathers, so it will not be a surprise to see Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin shake things up once more on his state visit to China this week. 

While the four-day visit is nominally slated as an opportunity to renew political, economic, and cultural connections between the countries, it will also give the Tánaiste access to the likes of China vice-president Han Zheng and foreign minister Wang Yi and allow him extrapolate Ireland’s priorities for the relationship.