China's business-friendly premier may seek sympathetic ear in Dublin

When Li Qiang arrives in Dublin on Tuesday evening, he will be the most senior Chinese official to visit Ireland since his predecessor Li Keqiang came in 2015. The country's premier since March last year, Li is second only to Xi Jinping in the Communist Party hierarchy and he has been one of the Chinese leader's closest allies for two decades. When Xi visited Ireland as vice-president in 2012, it was a few months before he became general secretary, the top position in the party and one of three leadership positions he still occupies. During his visit, he tried his…