TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said his country’s policy on Taiwan has not changed following a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang (李强) on Wednesday (Jan. 17).
During the meeting, "I reaffirmed our policy, which is the one China policy, that we recognize that Taiwan is part of China,” Varadkar said, per RTE. "And while we don't have diplomatic or political links with Taiwan, we continue to have economic and cultural links," he said.
Varadkar corrected a statement attributed to him by Chinese media that said he hopes China will achieve peaceful reunification at an early date, and that he supports the “one China principle.” “Principle” is the wording used by China’s government to describe its stance on one China, while the U.S. and most Western world leaders describe a “one China policy.”
China’s “one China principle” holds that the People’s Republic of China is the sole legitimate government of all of China, including Taiwan. Meanwhile, a “one China policy” acknowledges, but does not affirm, China’s position on the issue.
Varadkar met with Li in Dublin, where the pair discussed human rights, trade, and exchanges between Ireland and China. During the trip it was announced that China would resume importing beef from Ireland after imports were suspended in November 2023.
While Li was in Dublin, he also met with Irish President Michael D. Higgins.