Just because the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Maurice Ahern, is going to Beijing next month, doesn't mean the city is any closer to being twinned with the Chinese capital. But if things go well, you never know; a formal invite may yet be issued and a formal decision will then have to be taken. The suggestion first arose when a Chinese trade delegation visited Ireland recently and it was discussed by the City Council's protocol committee. It has not been listed for the full council, and following the uproar about human rights in China, it is highly unlikely councillors would support such a development. Dublin is already twinned with San Jose (California), Liverpool and Barcelona.
The Lord Mayor has accepted the invitation from his counterpart, Liu Qi, Mayor of Beijing, to attend the high-tech industries week from May 9th. Shortly afterwards, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Brian Cowen, will attend a meeting of ASEM (Asia EU foreign ministers). It will coincide with a summit of our Asian-based ambassadors, organised by Joe Hayes, the head of the Asia desk at Ive agh House and a former ambassador to China.