China’s second most powerful man has been welcomed to Áras an Uachtaráin by President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina.
Li Qiang, the premier of the People’s Republic of China, arrived in Dublin on Tuesday night where he was greeted by Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan and Ireland’s ambassador in Beijing, Ann Derwin.
He travelled to Phoenix Park on Wednesday morning.
Mr Li will later hold a bilateral meeting with Mr Varadkar at Farmleigh House this afternoon, where the pair will discuss the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Mr Li’s trip comes after he spoke at the opening ceremony of the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland.
He is the first high-ranking Chinese government official to attend the annual gathering since President Xi Jinping in 2017.
The visit comes amid efforts by EU figures and China to develop ties.
Despite the strong Sino-EU trade, with both regions the other’s second-biggest trading partner, political tensions remain.
China has angered the EU by taking a neutral stance in what most European countries see as a Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
Some Western countries have also avoided using or criticised technologies linked to the Chinese state over security concerns: including TikTok and Hikvision, the latter of which manufactures CCTV cameras used in the Dáil.
There is heavy garda presence around Phoenix Park, which has been closed to the public until 7pm on Wednesday.
