Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 25 February 2026
3. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if Ireland's policy toward China remains that as reflected in the speech of her predecessor as Minister, Micheál Martin, as set out at an event (details supplied) in May 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15429/26]
View answerIreland has taken a consistent and balanced approach to China over a number of years. As my predecessor said in May 2023, and has been repeated many times since then, our relationship with China is one that we value and want to develop in a number of areas. At the same time, China’s worldview is different from ours. There are areas where our interests and values differ, and this shapes how we engage with one another.
Since 2023, people-to-people links – education, culture and tourism – have continued to expand. The economic relationship remains important with two-way trade reaching €39.3 billion in 2024 (the most recent year for which complete statistics are available). China continues to be Ireland's largest trading partner in Asia. The Government remains committed to supporting Irish businesses while working with EU partners on ensuring our economic security, advocating for mutually beneficial trade ties and a level playing field.
We have long recognised that there are issues where Ireland and China do not always agree. The speech which my predecessor as Minister for Foreign Affairs gave in 2023 identified a number of such areas of difference, which are of particular importance to Ireland. While all of these issues have evolved in certain ways since then, the main themes remain pertinent for our engagement with China.
These include our different stances on Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine; our concerns around the human rights situation in China, particularly around the National Security Law in Hong Kong, and the treatment of minorities in Xinjiang and elsewhere; and important issues in the wider EU-China relationship, particularly around trade and economic security. In this context, the Government remains committed to protecting our values and interests by developing our economic and systemic resilience. As was noted in 2023, this does not mean turning our backs on an economic, diplomatic and cultural relationship with China.
It is also important to emphasise that the Government does, and will continue to, work constructively with China on issues of global importance, such as addressing climate change; advancing sustainable development; and building a fair and open global trading and investment system.
The successful visit by the Taoiseach to Beijing and Shanghai in January this year was an important opportunity for a dialogue, based on our interests and values, across all these aspects of our relationship – political, economic, cultural, diplomatic and people-to-people ties. The Government is committed to building long-term, strategic relationships across the Asia Pacific region, including a constructive and mutually beneficial relationship with China.
