Tánaiste meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi

Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Micheál Martin, continued his visit to China in Beijing today with a meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. The meeting covered a range of topics including bilateral relations, EU-China relations, multilateral engagement and regional and international issues.

The Tánaiste said:

"I was pleased to meet Foreign Minister Wang again this afternoon, following our meeting in February at the Munich Security Conference. We had three hours of detailed and constructive exchanges on a wide range of issues.

"Both Ireland, and the EU more broadly, have a comprehensive economic relationship with China. I stressed our interest in maintaining and strengthening that relationship, on the basis of the global multilateral trading system, with transparent, equitable and mutually agreed parameters and a level playing field.

"I made clear Ireland’s support for the common EU approach on ‘de-risking’ and our obligation to ensure that our economies and societies are resilient and avoid vulnerabilities and over dependence. I reiterated the view that I outlined in my May 2023 speech that de-risking is not de-coupling. I welcomed the forthcoming EU-China Summit and the work currently underway on sectoral dialogues to prepare for it.

"Ireland’s engagement with China is embedded in the global multilateral system and this framed our exchange today. In my conversation with the Foreign Minister, I underlined the centrality of the UN Charter - and the institutions and bodies of the UN - to Ireland’s foreign policy. I set out Ireland’s long held concerns around the human rights situation in China, particularly around the National Security Law in Hong Kong, and the treatment of minorities in Xinjiang and elsewhere. I emphasised Ireland’s long held view that all human rights issues of concern should be comprehensively discussed and examined at the UN Human Rights Council, and within the wider UN human rights architecture.

"Our discussions also focused on the situation in Ukraine and in the Middle East. I asked that China use its influence on Russia to end their illegal invasion of Ukraine and to withdraw their troops from Ukrainian territory. Any peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine must be based on the UN Charter and must respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. We also discussed the crisis in Israel and Palestine, including in the context of China’s role as Presidency of the United Nations Security Council this month. We agreed on the need for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the critical importance of regional de-escalation.

"We discussed the situation in Taiwan; and I confirmed Ireland’s continued adherence to the One China Policy, as well as the importance we attach to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

"Finally, I invited Foreign Minister Wang to visit Dublin. Our meeting today underlined again the essential role and value of diplomacy in discussing both areas of cooperation, and issues on which we disagree.”

The Tánaiste also had a courtesy call with Minister Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China, in Beijing today.

Speaking after the meeting, the Tánaiste said:

"I welcomed the opportunity during my visit to Beijing to meet Minister Liu Jianchao. We had an open exchange on a variety of issues, focusing in particular on current and future EU-China relations, China’s role in critical global issues including climate, sustainable development, and peace and security, as well as the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Palestine crisis."