Taoiseach Micheál Martin has met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, hailing the "deep and long-standing relationship between our two countries". Mr Martin arrived at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing early on Monday morning, becoming the first Taoiseach since Enda Kenny to meet the Chinese leader. Mr Martin went on to praise China's role on the world stage. In his opening statement, Mr Xi said that both Ireland and China were "peace-loving, open-minded, inclusive, self-reliant, and enterprising". Mr Xi also criticised what he called "unilateral bullying" which he said was "severely impacting the international order".

Source: Irish Examiner January 05, 2026 10:54 UTC