Irish leader praises 'tangible outcomes' on travel, trade with China after Premier Li's visit

WATCH: Ken Browne reports on Premier Li Qiang's historic visit to Dublin 

Chinese Premier Li Qiang concluded a two-day visit to Ireland, where his meeting with Irish leader Leo Varadkar saw the promise of 'tangible outcomes' on travel and trade between the two countries.

‌Li arrived on Tuesday evening following his attendance at the Davos World Economic Forum in Switzerland, and on Wednesday met with Irish President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach - the country's leader - Varadkar.

Li said China was willing to deepen cooperation with Ireland in areas such as economy, trade, investment, green development, and technological innovation, along with strengthening cultural ties.

‌Speaking with the Taoiseach he also announced that Irish passport holders now have visa-free status in China, allowing them to travel to China for 15 days without the need to apply for a visa. That followed a similar announcement at Davos for Swiss passport holders.

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‌There was good news too for Ireland's important agri-food sector as beef exports to China officially resumed. ‌Ireland exports more than 90 percent of the beef it produces.

Varadkar called these "two very tangible outcomes" and said there was a lot more that Ireland and China can work together on. "We are very honored that he chose Ireland as one of the first European countries to visit. And there is a clear desire on both sides that we should strengthen and develop relations between Ireland and China," said the Taoiseach.

Sino-Irish trade 

The visit comes in a big year for both countries as China and Ireland celebrate 45 years of official diplomatic relations. Bilateral trade between the two countries is worth $25 billion and has grown exponentially over the past decade, with Ireland the only EU nation that has a trade surplus with China.

‌Chinese investment in Ireland has reached around $10 billion, as over 40 Chinese companies have set up across Ireland, including Huawei, TikTok, and pharmaceutical company WuXi Biologics. In fact, ‌TikTok alone provides 3,000 jobs in Dublin.

‌Going the other way, Irish exports to China include around $800 million in the agri-food sector, and Ireland has become the biggest provider of microchips to the Chinese market because of Intel's presence on the island.

‌Some experts said this week that the relationship between China and Ireland provides a model for how to do business with China for the rest of Europe, with both insisting that keeping trade open and flowing and resisting protectionism and trade conflict is the best way forward for the global economy.

‌Avalon is based in Dublin and is the second largest aviation leasing company in the world. They boast assets of over $30 billion and are co-owned by Chinese HNA group.

Andy Cronin, CEO of Avalon Aviation, the second largest aviation leasing company in the world, told CGTN Europe that Irish-Chinese cooperation had "really been exceptional over the past decade."

‌"It has really kicked into a level of cooperation that puts China as one of the core partners for Irish businesses over the past 10 years, whether that's pharmaceutical, agriculture or aircraft leasing. And what we've seen is hugely impressive."

Cultural ties

‌Strong bilateral relations between China and Ireland extend beyond economic ties. ‌University College Dublin is home to one of the largest Confucius Institutes in the world.

‌A new building finished in 2018 with a price tag over $10 million was equally co-funded by both Chinese and Irish governments along with University College Dublin. ‌The site, paired with Colleges in Beijing, Xi'an, and Guangzhou, helps around 6,000 people in Dublin study Chinese at the university and in secondary schools across the city.

‌Professor Wang Liming, who founded UCD's Confucius Institute in 2006, sees Ireland providing an example in how to do business with China.

"So Ireland as a developed country in Western Europe could actually make this Sino-Irish relationship as a role model for the rest of the world to learn, to know what can be done between different systems, different cultures, different countries," he said.

‌Li Qiang's visit to Ireland was his only European destination other than Switzerland on this trip, a strong indicator of the closer ties between China and Ireland.

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