Harney rescued by just in time Chinese tailor

Troubles never come singly. . . the Tanaiste Ms Harney arrived in Beijing yesterday at the head of a trade mission, only to find that her luggage with clothes and accessories had been left behind in Paris by Air France.

At her first official function, she told Chinese vice-premier, Li Lanqing: "I have experienced Chinese trade straight away - I have had to have clothes made because my luggage didn't leave Paris."

At the meeting Ms Harney was wearing a black silk jacket created in four hours by Mr Gu Yuanhong, a Chinese tailor who has made clothes for Irish embassy staff. Despite having worked all night, Mr Gu agreed to do emergency tailoring, and after being fetched in an embassy car from his home in a Beijing hutong (lane) he had a jacket and top ready by 3 p.m., just 90 minutes before Ms Harney's first appointment, based on the clothes the Tanaiste's had travelled in. The meeting with Mr Li covered a wide range of bilateral issues. Ms Harney said afterwards she raised human rights concerns, and the need for China to ratify two UN civil rights covenants it had signed.

She said Mr Li told her that "he had formed a very positive view of Ireland on his recent visit and the success story of the Irish economy is featuring very heavily here in China and that will help Irish companies". Ms Harney and the Chinese Minister for Science and Technology, Madam Zhu Lilan, later signed an agreement on Scientific and Technological Co-operation. This provides for co-operation on project-oriented software development, exchanges of scientists and researchers, and direct contacts between scientific institutions and research and higher education centres.

The trade delegation is made up of representatives of 50 Irish companies, ranging from education and software to construction and the environment. It includes 22 colleges and schools and 12 information and technology companies. "What is significant about this trade mission is the emphasis on education and information technology especially given the imminent access of China into the WTO (World Trade Organisation)," Ms Harney said. Ms Harney will visit the Forbidden City today and tomorrow the Great Wall outside Beijing. On Monday she meets Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji and later in the week opens Ireland's first consulate in Shanghai. Air France has promised to deliver the misplaced luggage today.