Pat Breen
Ceist:84 Mr. P. Breen asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on the recent visit of the President to China. [26785/03]
Written Answers. - State Visits.
The President paid a State visit to China from 6 to 16 October 2003. The purpose of State and official visits abroad is to promote Ireland's image in a positive way internationally and to develop further political, economic and cultural links with the countries concerned. The State visit of President McAleese was enormously successful and has intensified greatly our engagement with China in the political, economic and cultural fields.
The President was accompanied throughout her State visit by the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Noel Dempsey, and a business delegation, organised by Enterprise Ireland, consisting of 150 people from 82 companies and institutions. The visit spanned ten days and five locations and entailed meetings or discussions with 20 Chinese political leaders, at central, provincial and municipal levels. The President made 11 major speeches on political, economic, cultural and community themes. She also attended a specially arranged gala performance of Riverdance in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
The President had meetings with President Hu Jintao, the Chairman of the National People's Congress, Mr. Wu Bangguo and Premier Wen Jiabao. At a political level, the President's visit illustrated the remarkable degree of importance the Chinese attach to relations with Ireland. The fact that President McAleese was among the first Heads of State or Government to be received by the new Chinese leadership is extremely significant. Both the president and premier acknowledged the important international role played by Ireland, expressed a strong interest in the expansion of the bilateral relationship between Ireland and China and invited further visits at Government and parliamentary level.
The Chinese leaders also noted Ireland's forthcoming Presidency of the European Union. It is significant that the President's talks in Beijing took place on the eve of the publication of China's first strategy paper on its relations with the EU and within weeks of the first EU-China summit to be attended by the new premier. Throughout her discussions, President McAleese underlined our attachment to the EU, the significance of the current enlargement process, the importance of EU-China relations and our commitment to seeing these enhanced in the course of our Presidency and beyond. In the course of these wide-ranging discussions, the President conveyed Ireland's general commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The visit made clear the level of interest in Ireland's economic development and its potential for co-operation with China at the highest political level, as well as in the commercial field. The programme and the publicity that surrounded it enhanced the image of Ireland in targeted economic areas and among the general populace. The accompanying business delegation was the largest official trade mission of its kind to leave Ireland. The President addressed business breakfasts in both Beijing and Shanghai, as well as a forum of educational leaders. She also officiated at several new business ventures and met individually with representatives of a significant number of Chinese companies. The visit was extremely successful in the promotion and strengthening of Irish economic links with China, whose economy has been growing very rapidly in the past decade. It enhanced bilateral trade and economic co-operation and opened doors for Irish companies in the accompanying trade delegation.
The visit also renewed the focus on Ireland as a centre of excellence in education – a most important link between Ireland and China. In this regard, the President was accompanied by the heads of a number of Irish universities, who formed part of the trade delegation. In addition to the President receiving two honorary degrees from Chinese universities, which have close links with Ireland, there was substantial progress in bringing together leading representatives of Irish and Chinese educational institutions to enhance co-operation and exchange.
The visit by President McAleese was an exceptional success and will have a profoundly positive impact on all aspects of Ireland's future relations with China.