Micheál Martin’s visit to China this week was the first by a sitting Taoiseach since 2012 and his hosts gave him the full, red carpet treatment. Martin met representatives from 13 Irish higher education institutions who run more than 100 joint programmes with Chinese colleges. The Taoiseach acknowledged those concerns during his visit to China but suggested that, instead of complaining about Chinese imports, the EU should become more competitive. In Beijing, the Taoiseach raised human rights issues including the imprisonment of former Hong Kong media owner Jimmy Lai. Talking about human rights cases seldom has much immediate effect on Chinese officials, who are happy to argue at length about which rights should take precedence.

Source: The Irish Times January 10, 2026 05:35 UTC