Irish prime minister says China visit aimed to deepen bilateral ties, shore up EU-China relations

China

Irish prime minister says China visit aimed to deepen bilateral ties, shore up EU-China relations

2026-01-10 02:11 Last Updated At：15:37

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said during his visit to China that the trip aimed to deepen bilateral ties and strengthen cooperation across economic, political and educational areas.

Speaking in an interview on Jan. 6 during his Jan. 4–8 visit, Martin said his talks, including a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, focused on reinforcing Ireland-China relations and placing EU-China ties on a firmer footing, particularly in addressing trade issues.

Ireland's prime minister, known as the Taoiseach, said his first trip to China dates back to 2005, adding that trade and exchanges between Ireland and China have since grown exponentially.

"The objective is to cement that partnership and to strategically look ahead in terms of how we can work in synergy and in partnership on quite a range of issues. And so there's an economic dimension, there's a political dimension. I appreciate the fact that President Xi met with me on day one. And then in addition to that, so far I've met with business people whose companies are located in Ireland -- Chinese companies, and Irish companies who are trading in China and who are located in China. And I've met with educational institutions, higher education institutions," said Martin.

Xi met with Martin on Jan. 5. At the beginning of the meeting, Xi pointed out that Martin was the first leader of a European country to visit China this year, reflecting that both sides attach great importance to bilateral relations.

"Meeting with President Xi was a high level meeting that focused on the bilateral relationship, focused also on the European Union- China relationship and the need to put that relationship in a broader framework and on a firm footing, and to try and resolve some of the trading issues between Europe. And as a member state of the European Union, we would be very much of that mind that both sides should work hard to develop a working framework, governing trade issues in particular," said the Irish prime minister.

Martin also noted that Chinese has been introduced into Ireland's secondary education system as a language course, saying cultural, linguistic and literary ties between the two countries are steadily strengthening.

Hamas ready for complete withdrawal from Gaza governmental scene: official

The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) is ready to completely withdraw from the governmental scene in the Gaza Strip and engage in a positive and constructive manner with the second phase of the plan to end the war in the enclave, said Hamas political bureau member Basem Naim on Friday. In a statement, Naim said that the ceasefire deal became an international plan after being adopted by the United Nations Security Council. However, it is now facing obstacles.

He accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of reneging on his commitments and escalating the situation, in an attempt to return to war and save his political career. Pointing out that Israeli strikes have caused hundreds of casualties since the announcement of the ceasefire, the Hamas official said the escalation cannot occur without cover or green light from the United States. He said Hamas has committed to all its obligations under the ceasefire agreement, as attested by the mediators and the U.S., adding that it is ready for the second phase of the agreement.

He emphasized the Movement's commitment to the establishment of a fully empowered Palestinian body to administer Gaza, and its complete withdrawal from the governmental scene.

Naim warned that the situation will not be sustainable if the continued escalation of Israeli military operations and the persistence of the catastrophic humanitarian situation remain unaddressed, adding that the circle of fire may expand, which is what Netanyahu aspires to.

Since a ceasefire took effect on Oct 10, 2025, Gaza's death toll has risen to 439 with 1,223 injuries, according to local health authorities on Friday. Rescue teams have recovered 688 bodies during that period. In the broader conflict, at least 71,409 Palestinians have been killed and 171,304 wounded since Israel's military campaign in Gaza began in October 2023.