Economic ties and trade, Irish concerns over human rights in China and efforts to end the war in Ukraine were all raised at a meeting between Tánaiste Simon Harris and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in Dublin.
Mr Wang, who is also a member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party, also met Taoiseach Micheál Martin on Monday.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said the discussions between Mr Harris and Mr Wang included talks on bilateral relations, EU-China relations, multilateral engagement and regional and international issues.
Mr Harris, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, said Ireland values its relationship with China and “we had detailed and constructive exchanges on a wide range of issues.”
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He said Ireland and the EU have a comprehensive economic relationship with China and “I stressed our interest in maintaining and strengthening that relationship” with “transparent, equitable and mutually agreed parameters and a level playing field”.
Mr Harris said he also took the opportunity to raise a number of trade issues and requested that the Chinese authorities allow the resumption of access for Irish beef to China.
Higher education lines between the two countries were also discussed.
Mr Harris highlighted how 2025 marks 50 years of diplomatic relations between the European Union and China and said: “We hope that further progress can be made on issues such as digital, trade, the environment, human rights and other topics, as building blocks towards a substantial EU-China summit this year.”
He also said: “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 within the UN human rights architecture.”
The war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East were also discussed.
Mr Harris asked that “China use its influence on Russia to end their illegal invasion of Ukraine”.
He said any peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine must be based on the UN Charter and must respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
He added: “There can be no discussion about the future of Ukraine, without Ukraine.”
The crisis in Israel and Palestine was discussed including in the context of China’s role as president of the United Nations Security Council this month.
“We agreed that the ceasefire and hostage-release deal must be implemented and that all involved must meet their commitments, including further releases of hostages and ensuring continuing humanitarian aid into Gaza,” Mr Harris said.
He added: “Our meeting today underlined again the essential role and value of diplomacy in discussing both areas of co-operation, and issues on which we disagree.”
Before the meetings between the Taoiseach and Tánaiste and Mr Wang, Uyghur and Hong Kong communities living in Ireland called on the Government to raise transnational repression with him.
In a statement, groups representing Uyghurs – who are from the Xinjiang region – and Hongkongers living in Ireland called on Mr Martin and Mr Harris to “demand concrete actions with respect to acts of transnational repression, genocide and politically motivated imprisonment perpetrated by the People’s Republic of China [PRC]”.
They said they wanted to draw the Government’s attention to Chinese state surveillance and harassment of diaspora communities living in Ireland.
The Irish Times has contacted the Department of the Taoiseach and Foreign Affairs to ask if these allegations were raised at the meetings with Mr Wang.
