The Chinese Premier, Mr Zhu Rongji, will in September become the first Chinese leader to pay an official visit to Ireland.
While no announcement has been made, sources have confirmed to The Irish Times that Mr Zhu will take in Ireland as part of a European tour.
News of the visit is expected to be met with criticism from groups unhappy with China's human rights record.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, invited Mr Rongji to visit Ireland during talks on the fringes of the ASEM leaders' meeting in Seoul, South Korea, last October. The two leaders discussed improving trade and political links between Ireland and China.
Mr Ahern visited China in September 1998, and following that trip established the Asia Strategy. The volume of trade between the two countries has doubled in the past year.
Mr Zhu has a particular interest in the high-tech industry and is expected to visit some software companies. The awareness of Ireland in China has increased dramatically following the Taoiseach's 1998 visit. This was followed by a visit to Ireland last year by the Chinese Vice-Premier, Mr Li Lanqing.
The Tanaiste, Ms Harney, led a trade delegation to China last September. So far this year, two ministers, Ms de Valera and Mr Woods, and two ministers of state, Mr Martin Cullen and Mr Noel Davern, have visited China. The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Mr Maurice Ahern, was there two weeks ago. Cultural and educational ties between the two countries have been strengthened in recent agreements.
Mr Zhu told Ms Harney when they met in Beijing in Sept ember that China attached great importance to its relations with Ireland and wished to share experiences in economic development.
He said China needed to learn from Ireland's policy of developing technologies. He thanked Ireland for its adherence to the one-China policy and support for China's entry to WTO.
There was a row last month over proposals to twin Dublin with Beijing. The Independent Tibet Network urged the Lord Mayor of Dublin to abandon the plan. Amnesty International described the idea as "dreadfully inappropriate".