IT’S GREAT TO LI HERE
Beef exports to resume after China premier talks
IRISH beef exports to China are to resume as part of measures agreed during a bilateral meeting of senior government figures.
Li Qiang, the second most powerful man in China, met the Taoiseach during a brief diplomatic visit yesterday.
Leo Varadkar said there was a clear desire to deepen relations and it was also agreed that Irish citizens could visit and stay in China for up to 15 days without a visa.
Mr Li, the premier of the People’s Republic of China, arrived in Dublin on Tuesday night where he was greeted by Transport Minister Eamon Ryan and Ireland’s ambassador in Beijing, Ann Derwin.
Yesterday he received a warm welcome from President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina at his official residence at Aras an Uachtarain in Phoenix Park.
Mr Li told them it was a “great pleasure” to meet them and passed on the greetings of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The two shook hands and
Mr Li asked about Mr Higgins’ visit to his home province of Zhejiang.
Warmly welcoming Mr Li at the state reception room, Mr Higgins said that he remembered his state visit to
China and Mr Xi’s visit to
Ireland in 2012 while he was vice-president.
Mr Xi became China’s president the following year.
Mr Li said that Chineseirish relations are a “good example of mutually beneficial co-operation” between two countries.
He added: “Over the years our results-oriented co-operation has made steady progress and produced rich fruit. Our relations have set a good example of mutually beneficial co-operation between countries that are different in political systems, cultural divisions and geographic size.”
Mr Li then travelled to nearby Farmleigh House where he met Mr Varadkar.
He was greeted there by a Lieutenants Guard of Honour from the 12th Infantry Battalion out of Limerick.
A band from the Irish Defence Forces played as Mr Li inspected the soldiers.
Mr Li then held a bilateral meeting with Mr Varadkar for discussion on issues including climate change as well as conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The two leaders ate beef during a working lunch.
The meat was included on the menu amid a ban on beef exports from Ireland to China since November following the detection of atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease) in an Irish cow.
During the trip, Chinese officials agreed to immediately restart imports.
Mr Varadkar added: “We raised, in particular, our concerns about human rights in what are called the special autonomous regions: Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong, Macau.
“We need to be frank about these things – that China is on the UN Human Rights Council and has international responsibilities.
“Any country, including our own country, should be judged by the way it treats minorities.”
Mr Varadkar said Mr Li was happy to discuss the matters, but added: “I don’t want to speak for him, but I think it’s fair to say that they would have a very different view of the facts and dispute a lot of what’s said in the media.”
We raised concerns about human rights in Tibet
LEO VARADKAR YESTERDAY