Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin urged “open trade” in talks with China’s leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday, during a five-day visit aimed at strengthening economic ties with the world’s second-largest economy.
Martin’s China trip, the first by an Irish Taoiseach since 2012, comes against the backdrop of trade tensions between China and the European Union, of which Ireland will assume the rotating presidency in July.
“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.
“We all, to one degree or another, depend on each other, and I think if we can maintain that spirit into the future, our relationship will continue to grow and will continue to strengthen,” he added.
RelatedTRT World – China passes revised foreign trade law to bolster trade war capabilities
Xi hailed growing bilateral trade and investment between the two countries and called for the “long-term, stable development” of ties.