Chinese President Xi Jinping stated on the 5th that in today's world, chaos and changes are intertwined, and unilateral bullying actions have seriously impacted the international order. All countries should respect the independent choice of development paths by their peoples, abide by international law and the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, with major powers especially needing to take the lead.
He made these remarks while meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, who is on an official visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Last week, the U.S. raid on Venezuela shocked the international community.
Xi Jinping said that both China and Ireland support multilateralism and uphold international fairness and justice. The two countries should enhance coordination and cooperation in international affairs, jointly safeguard the authority of the United Nations, and promote the global governance system toward a more just and reasonable direction.
He pointed out that China and the EU should take a long-term view, adhere to the positioning of a partnership, look at and deal with differences objectively and rationally, and stick to win-win cooperation. Ireland will hold the rotating presidency of the EU in the second half of the year and is expected to play a constructive role in promoting the healthy and stable development of China-EU relations.
He noted that both China and Ireland love peace, openness, inclusiveness, and independence and progress. The peoples of the two countries have won national independence and liberation through struggle, and have advanced toward modernization through the continuous efforts of generations. Since the establishment of a mutually beneficial strategic partnership between the two countries in 2012, bilateral trade volume has quadrupled, mutual investment has developed in a balanced manner, and exchanges between the peoples of both countries have helped the development of each nation. Mutual respect, equality, and win-win cooperation have been the valuable experiences for the long-term stability of China-Ireland relations, and both sides should jointly inherit and promote them. China is willing to strengthen strategic communication with Ireland, deepen political mutual trust, expand pragmatic cooperation, benefit the peoples of both countries, and add momentum to China-EU relations.
Xi Jinping emphasized that both sides should maintain multi-level and multi-field friendly exchanges, continuously enhance communication and understanding, take care of each other's core interests and major concerns, consolidate political mutual trust, and solidify the political foundation of bilateral relations. This year marks the start of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan. In the next five years, China will continue to promote high-quality development and expand high-level opening up. China is willing to strengthen economic and trade cooperation with Ireland, align development strategies in fields such as artificial intelligence, digital economy, and pharmaceuticals and healthcare, promote two-way investment, achieve complementary advantages, share opportunities, and pursue common development. Both sides should enhance cooperation in education, culture, and tourism, promote people-to-people bonds, and welcome more Irish youth to China for study and exchanges.
Martin said that Ireland and China share a deep and longstanding friendship, with continuously strengthening economic and trade cooperation and increasingly close cultural exchanges. President Xi Jinping’s successful visit to Ireland in 2012 laid a solid foundation for the mutually beneficial strategic partnership between the two countries in recent years. The impressive results China has achieved through effective long-term development strategies are admirable.
He stated that Ireland firmly adheres to the one-China policy, is committed to strengthening and developing the mutually beneficial strategic partnership with China, and is willing to deepen cooperation with China in trade, investment, science and technology, biomedicine, renewable energy, artificial intelligence, education and other fields. China plays an indispensable and important role in international affairs and has made positive contributions to upholding the authority of the United Nations and promoting world peace. The resolution of any international dispute should abide by international law. Ireland is willing to maintain close communication and coordination with China, uphold international law, adhere to free and open trade, and promote world prosperity and stability. The stable development of EU-China relations is very important, and Ireland is willing to play a constructive role in promoting the healthy development of EU-China relations.
Martin is the first Irish Prime Minister to visit Beijing in 14 years.