The Taoiseach and the mayor of Shanghai, leaders of two of the fastest-growing regions in the world, last night bantered with each other about which was moving ahead the faster.
Ireland's growth had averaged 8 per cent over five years, and the economy had grown 40 per cent, Mr Ahern said. "But you have grown by 13 per cent in the last five years, and I am glad someone is beating us."
To this Mr Xu Kuangdi replied graciously: "Even though the Shanghai economy is growing by 13 per cent, the base figure is quite low. Your 8 per cent is achieved on a larger base figure so in this sense we did not beat you."
The good-humoured exchange, conducted before a banquet for the Taoiseach, his partner, Ms Celia Larkin, the Minister of State, Mr Tom Kitt, and members of the largest Irish trade delegation ever to visit Asia illustrated, however, that the Irish growth phenomenon is being taken seriously in China.
Mr Xu, who is one of the most powerful city leaders in communist China, told the Taoiseach that he was aware that Ireland was second only to the US in software production. He was, therefore, "opening his arms up" to potential Irish partners in Shanghai which would serve as an excellent gateway to the Chinese software market.
He added: "If only one in 1,000 Chinese families were to buy a personal computer, the market would be bigger than all of Europe."
Mr Ahern said: "We export 80 per cent of our produce and over half of our workforce is engaged in exports. It makes no sense for us not to be involved in a country which has about a quarter of mankind."
Recalling Shanghai's history of accepting immigrants - it was a concession city run by European powers and Japan before the 1949 revolution - the mayor said: "Shanghai now looks forward to the Irish coming. If there were more Irish here I think development would be much faster."
Mr Ahern arrived in Shanghai after a morning spent visiting a village outside Beijing and climbing a section of the Great Wall at Badaling, not far from the capital.
As he and Ms Larkin led a party of officials, journalists and business people up the ancient wall, the Taoiseach turned around, raised his hands in the air and cried: "This is preparation for the 2002 campaign. We're launching it here."
Mr Ahern, a regular jogger until he tweaked his knee recently doing the O'Connell Way from Caherdaniel to Kenmare, said his leg was now fine and he completed the climb of 880 metres, inspired, no doubt, by the information that Mr Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel had reached such a height on a recent visit to China and set the standard for all prime ministers.
Mr Ahern and his party will today conduct a round of meetings with city officials and business representatives in Shanghai and visit the stock exchange before leaving for Hong Kong and the final leg of what is shaping up to be an extremely successful fiveday trip.
The first visit of a Taoiseach to China made the lead report, under the heading "Sino-Irish links lauded", in the official China daily newspaper. It quoted President Jiang Zemin as saying after his meeting with Mr Ahern on Tuesday that, although bearing historical, cultural and ideological differences, China and Ireland could still advance to bilateral cooperation and friendship up to a high level.
"Although great changes have taken place in the world in the past 20 years, China-Ireland relations have witnessed a great evolution," Mr Jiang was quoted as saying.
Yesterday The Irish Times incorrectly reported that Mr Tom Kitt, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, signalled to the Irish Ambassador to China, Mr Joe Hayes, that he wanted his seat on the podium at an address by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, at the Foreign Affairs College in Beijing. In fact, Mr Hayes invited Mr Kitt for protocol reasons to take his place on the platform. The Irish Times regrets the error and any embarrassment caused.
