January 6, 2026
Irish Taoiseach (head of government) Micheál Martin met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on 05 January during his four-day official visit to China. The leaders discussed economic ties between the countries, broader EU-China relations, and called for more open trade and cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence and digital economy. China’s push for closer ties with Ireland is seen as a strategic move to maintain a stable foothold within the European Union amid trade tensions between China and the EU.