Irish leader waltzes into conversation with Hu
Fancy footwork and human rights were the topics of choice when Irish President Mary McAleese met Hu Jintao in Beijing.
With Riverdance, the Irish dancing extravaganza, currently showing in the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square, Ms McAleese talked to President Hu Jintao on Thursday night about his own dancing career as head of a university dance troupe.
'It's one of the great tragedies of my life. I love to dance but my own husband is from Belfast, and Belfast men of that generation do not dance,' she said.
But as Ireland prepares to take over the presidency of the European Union in January, thornier topics, such as human rights and the North Korean standoff, were also tackled, she told the South China Morning Post.
The mainland is often criticised by the international community for its poor human rights record, and Ms McAleese said the issue was one of 'ongoing dialogue with the European Union, and likely to remain so for some considerable time'.
'We talked about issues to do with civil and political rights, and I explained the value system that we come from that underpins membership of the European Union that allows some countries to come in and keep certain countries out,' she said.
They are the 'very kind of issues that, between friendly countries, come on to an agenda, and stay on an agenda and become worked out ... as one nation tries to persuade or influence another to a particular perspective,' she said.
Mr Hu was 'an extremely easy man to talk to, a very open man to talk to', she said.
'We had some of the best discussions I have ever had with any political leader.'
Ms McAleese also met Premier Wen Jiabao yesterday, according to Xinhua.
It said Mr Wen highlighted areas such as computer software, biotechnology and information technology as potential fields of co-operation between the two countries.
He also thanked Ms McAleese on Taiwan - apparently referring to Ireland's position not to have official ties with the island.
With tension running high on the Korean peninsula over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme, Ms McAleese said she encouraged China to continue playing a central diplomatic role.
'I explained to President Hu how pleased the European Union is at the role China is playing as peacemaker in Korea. This gives the rest of the world tremendous reassurance,' she said. 'In this part of the world, China is clearly a huge economic force, and one would wish it to be a huge political force ... China presents an opportunity to be a force for good in the world,' she said.
Ms McAleese is leading an Irish trade delegation. With 145 participants from 82 firms, it is Ireland's largest-ever trade delegation.
