merrion street

The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney, has today welcomed Beijing Party Secretary Cai Qi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China, to Iveagh House, in his first engagement as part of a three-day visit to Ireland.

The Tánaiste and Party Secretary Cai met this evening for discussions on a range of issues of bilateral and multilateral interest, including the imminent launch of the first direct flight between Ireland and Beijing.

Speaking ahead of their meeting, the Tánaiste commented on the strength of the relationship that exists between Ireland and China:

“This visit will further contribute to the strong bilateral relationship between our two countries. It also offers an opportunity to deepen the connections between our two capital cities - Dublin and Beijing, which have been twinned since 2011. During my visit to China in March, I saw first-hand that the opportunities for trade and investment between our two countries are immense.

“There is also huge potential for partnership in the fields of education, research, culture and tourism. The connections between our two countries will be further enhanced with the establishment next month of direct flights from Dublin to both Beijing and Hong Kong. Senior political visits, such as this visit by Party Secretary Cai, represent an important opportunity to further our goals, and also to increase our mutual understanding on key bilateral and regional issues, such as Brexit.”