Donal Carey
Question:22 Mr. D. Carey asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on his recent discussions with Mr. Li Lanqing, Vice Premier of China, during his recent visit to Dublin. [12826/00]
Written Answers. - State Visits.
Mr. Li Lanqing, one of the Vice Premiers of China, and whose official responsibilities are in the areas of trade, investment and education, visited Ireland at the invitation of the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The primary purpose of the visit was to promote our mutual economic and trade relations, bearing also in mind from our perspective the Government's Asia strategy. Vice Premier Li discussed the matters in detail with the Tánaiste and met representatives from our business promotional agencies in both Dublin and the Shannon region. Vice Premier Li paid a courtesy call on the Taoiseach and also had a private meeting with him. While the main purpose of the visit was to discuss economic issues, I understand that certain political issues were raised in the course of this private meeting.
I did not meet nor have any discussions with Vice Premier Li. I met the Vice Premier briefly at a social event hosted by the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The time involved and the nature of the event did not allow for any substantive discussion.