China–Ireland relations are interstate relations of China and Ireland. Ireland and China first established their bilateral foreign relations after they signed the Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations on 22 June 1979. This milestone opened the gate for trades, businesses, politics, education, and tourism between the two countries; both nations have gained enormous growth of economic values. Both countries exchanged ambassadors in 1980. Ireland has an embassy in Beijing, a general consulate in Shanghai and an honorary consulate in Hong Kong; China has an embassy in Dublin. The first historical meeting for the two headers of China and Ireland governments took place in November 1996 when Premier Li Peng met with Taoiseach John Bruton at the World Food Summit. By 2019, this bilateral relationship has boomed to a high point, and a ceremony of their 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations was held in Dublin, Ireland in June 2019.
Trading
The trading volumes in China and Ireland have substantially improved after the establishment of diplomatic relations. Initially, the trade volume was only US$6.90 million. By 2000, Ireland had invested 34 projects in China and offered pledged investment of US$89.30 million with real input of US$19.28 million". According to the data on 2018, Ireland exported US$10.8 billion worth of goods, up 33.51 percent year on year. Now, Ireland becomes the first EU beef exporter to the Chinese market in a hope of Irish people to open a new farm market. Irish mainly exports food and diary to China — trade has almost doubled to 8 billion euros during Enda Kenny's tenure, who was the Prime Minister of Ireland during 2014–2017. Looking on the other side, China also exports "parts of household appliances and radio communication equipment, clothes, medicine, ships, etc.". By 2018, bilateral trade between the two countries hit a high point, reaching €17 billion in goods and services. However, the US–China trade war in 2019 negatively affected Ireland's export goods to China. Ireland is known for exporting high-end chips that mainly export to China to make final products which are frequently shipped on to the US. The trade war impacts both Chinese and Ireland's economic growth.
Education
The booming relationships between the two nations affect the educational aspect of both countries as well. China and Ireland signed the Agreement on Education Cooperation between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of Ireland in October 2000. Since then, the number of Chinese students studying in Ireland increased. By June 2000, the number of Chinese students in Ireland has reached 2,500. By 2019, there are about 3,500 Chinese students enrolled in higher education schools in Ireland and 1500 enrolled in English-language courses. In 2019, the Institution of Chinese Language and Culture located in Ireland has begun to offer beginning adult Chinese classes, business Chinese for companies and professionals, and Chinese extracurricular courses for children. Most of the teachers who teach Chinese are native speakers from China, and the majority of them work with Dublin institutions. Irish and Chinese colleges have started cooperative university programs recently.
Business
In April 2000, Ireland and China initiated an “Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation "; they also signed "Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation" in the following September. These documents helped the two nations developing their foreign relations and economic growth by increasing job opportunities and wages. By 2019, there are about 37 Chinese companies in Ireland that have 3,200 employees in total. "The mobile company Three Ireland, owned by CK Hutchison from Hong Kong, is the largest Chinese employer in Ireland, with about 1,400 employees." Another well-known Chinese company that has established offices in Ireland is Huawei, the most-used cellphone brand by Chinese people. Huawei has 200 people working in Dublin, Cork and Athlone's offices. This company strategy becomes a key step for Huawei setting its international orientation and provides job opportunities for Irish people that responding to the call from the Chinese government of building friendly relations with Ireland. On the other side, some Irish companies also their market By 2019, there are more than 400 Irish companies who have successfully entered into the Chinese market.
Tourism
The friendly diplomatic relations between China and Ireland promote cultural exchange and traveling over the years. In Ireland, beginning in 2012, more than 93 percent of immigrants are from China. In China, there are about 9,000 Irish citizens currently living within the country. In recent years, Ireland becomes one of the hottest recommended countries to travel to. By 2019, there are almost 40,000 Chinese travellers visit Ireland a year according to the official data. Moreover, Irish tourism authorities want to increase the number of visitors from China to 50,000 a year. Furthermore, Hainan Airline from China opens direct flights between Dublin and three Chinese cities- Beijing, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. On the ceremony of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations held in June 2019 in Dublin, Minister for Justice and EqualityCharlie Flanagan announced that the Irish government welcomes Chinese visitors and would issue a five-year multi-entry visa option for Chinese people, which started in July 2019. There are around 16,500 people of Chinese descent living in Ireland, largely concentrated in the cities of Limerick and Dublin.
In October 2019, British UN Ambassador Karen Pierce delivered a joint international statement on Xinjiang at the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee on Tuesday on behalf of 23 countries, including Ireland. The countries said they shared concerns raised by the United NationsInternational Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination regarding “credible reports of mass detention; efforts to restrict cultural and religious practices; mass surveillance disproportionately targeting ethnic Uyghurs; and other human rights violations and abuses.” They called on China to comply with its national and international obligations to respect human rights, including freedom of religion, and allow UN human rights monitors access to detention centers.
