China and the Irish

China and the Irish is a pioneering work, the first to explore relations between the Chinese people and those from the island of Ireland. Published to honour the thirtieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Ireland in June 2009, the book contains eleven essays. These cover an astonishing range of topics, from diplomatic history to music, from business to botanical exchanges and literary connections. What the book makes clear is that, although formal diplomatic relations go back only thirty years, interactions between the people of China and Ireland have a long and complex history that can be traced back well before the founding of either republic.