Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 141: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the measures that he is putting in place to ensure better trade with China; and can he make a statement about his recent trip there. [25939/10]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the primary responsibility for promoting Irish trade rests with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation. However, my Department has an important role to play in this area and I have set the promotion of our economic interests abroad as one of the key priorities for our Missions overseas.

Ireland's trade with China has increased very substantially over the last thirty years since we established diplomatic relations. Since the adoption by the Government of the Asia Strategy in 1998, which was designed to focus official efforts and attention on the development of our economic links with the fast growing countries of that region, and notably China, our merchandise exports to China increased from €75.4 million in 1998 to €1.64 billion in 2009. Exports of services have also increased significantly, reaching €1.4 billion in 2008.

The Irish Embassy in Beijing and the Consulate General in Shanghai work closely with the promotional agencies – Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, An Bord Bia and Tourism Ireland, to promote trade, investment and tourism with China.

An important part of our strategy in China, and one where my Department plays an active role, has been to increase the number of high level visits as a means of deepening our mutual understanding and developing links for increased cooperation, politically and economically.

My visit to China at the end of last month covered five cities in five days and my objective at each opportunity, including at my talks in Beijing with China's Vice Premier, Li Kiqiang, and Foreign Minister, Yang Jiechi, was to promote our diplomatic, trade, investment and education links with China. The consistent message I delivered throughout the week was that Ireland has one of the best educated, highly skilled and talented workforces in the world, and that our country is the pre-eminent location for fresh thinking where smart people turn innovative ideas into world class goods and services.

During my visit, I had the opportunity to visit Expo 2010 in Shanghai, a city which is twinned with Cork. 200 countries are represented at this world trade fair and up to 80 million people are expected to visit it over the summer. Almost 15,000 people visited the Irish Pavilion on the opening day and the China Daily, the country's largest English language newspaper, recommended the Ireland Germany Pavilions as a 'once in a lifetime experience.'

My visit formed part of a programme of visits from Ireland to China this year and was organised to complement and lead up to the visit of President McAleese, who is in China this week. The President met with Vice Premier Xi Jinping last Sunday in Beijing and will attend Ireland Day at Expo in Shanghai on Thursday. The President will also participate in business events hosted by Enterprise Ireland, the IDA, Bord Bia and Tourism Ireland, to assist in developing Ireland's trade and investment interests in China.

I am determined to ensure that my Department continues to do everything possible to support the promotion of our economic interests in China. Last month, I held a consultative meeting with representatives of the public and private sectors to discuss what more my Department could do to assist their efforts to develop trade with China. While I was in Shanghai, I met with Asia-Pacific members of the Global Irish Network, one of several successful initiatives to emerge from the Farmleigh Global Economic Forum last year. This meeting afforded an opportunity to develop relations established last September and to discuss the economic situation in Ireland, and how best to promote Irish business interests in the region. Through these continuing contacts with the business community, I intend that our Missions in China will provide every possible support to our trade with that country.