Irish PM arrives in China for trade talks

BEIJING — Irish prime minister Micheal Martin arrived in Beijing on Sunday, Chinese state media said, kicking off a five-day visit aimed at boosting trade between the two countries. Martin is due to meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in the Chinese capital, followed by a trip to economic powerhouse Shanghai. His arrival, reported by state broadcaster CCTV, marks the first visit to China by an Irish taoiseach since 2012. Among the top objectives will be to shore up ties between the European Union and China, as Dublin prepares to assume the rotating presidency of the bloc in…