France, Jan. 6 -- The Irish leader's five-day trip is sandwiched between Emmanuel Macron's December visit and Friedrich Merz's in February, and illustrate the fine line European leaders are taling in their approach to Beijing as transatlantic relations grow increasingly uncertain under Donald Trump's unpredictable policies.

Martin's visit comes as the European Union grapples with an unprecedented €305.8 billion trade deficit with China in 2024 and mounting anxieties about economic dependencies that could prove strategically risky.

But while Brussels talks tough on "de-risking" and "strategic autonomy," individual member states are pursuing their own pragmatic, bilateral engagement with Beijing - showing deep divisions over how Eur...