Former Irish PM calls protectionism a mistake

Former Irish prime minister Bertie Ahern said it took several decades for Ireland to realize that protectionism was a fundamental mistake, and countries today should not repeat the old path.

Ahern, who served as prime minister of Ireland from 1997 to 2008, made the remark in a recent interview with China Daily.

Noting that a stable and healthy relationship between the European Union and China is in the interests of all, he cautioned that the idea of going away from multilateralism by imposing trade restrictions is wrong.