The Tanaiste will travel to Beijing this weekend at the head of Ireland's biggest trade mission to Asia. Ms Harney will be accompanied by the representatives of 50 Irish companies. Most of the companies have already established business interests in the People's Republic of China. These range from education and software to construction and the environment. The group will include 22 colleges and schools and 12 information and technology companies.
The highlight of the September 7th-15th tour will be a meeting with Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji in Beijing, the signing of an Ireland-China Co-operation Agreement on Science and Technology and the opening of the first Irish consulate in Shanghai. The trip follows a visit to Ireland earlier this year by Chinese Vice-Premier Li Lanqing, who has since been promoting closer economic ties with Ireland.
The Tanaiste's visit arises directly from the Government's Asia strategy of closer involvement with China and other Asian nations. This was set out by an inter-departmental committee after the Taoiseach's visit to China in 1998.
In an effort to heighten the profile of Asia in Ireland, Enterprise Ireland is sponsoring six journalists to accompany Ms Harney.
The visit will also be the occasion for several signing ceremonies, including phase two of an agreement by Timoney Technologies to provide technology for the development of an all-terrain truck for Beijing Heavy Duty Truck Company.
Enterprise Ireland, with the co-operation of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation (MOVTEC), is initiating a new internship programme to train young Chinese managers in Irish companies. So many Chinese students have now graduated from Irish universities - 53 from the University of Ireland, Galway, work in Beijing's Hydrology Department - that the occasion is being marked by the setting up of the first Chinese-Irish alumni association. This was the idea of the Enterprise Ireland China director, Mr Michael Garvey.
In Shanghai Ms Harney, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, will formally open the consulate and meet members of Asia IT and officials from the city of Suzhou: Asia IT is an Irish software services provider which will establish a "bridge" between Ireland and China in the software services sector.
There will also be a signing agreement in Shanghai between the software subcontracting company Solution Providers and Dong Hua High Tech for software development.
Ms Harney will take the opportunity to lobby China for its vote when the UN General Assembly chooses two countries from Ireland, Italy and Norway to sit on the UN Security Council for the period 2001-2.
