Xi Jinping, meet Xi Jinping: Irish farmer names calf after Chinese Vice-President

China's Vice President Xi Jinping meets a newborn calf named after him yesterday during his three-day visit to Ireland. Mr Xi was given a 40-minute tour of James Lynch's family-run dairy farm at Sixmilebridge, Co Clare.

Mr Lynch introduced the Vice President to the calf, then welcomed him into the family home for an Irish coffee and showed him a painting of Irish cattle. "I know more about my calves than my children," Mr Lynch joked as their guest presented the family with toy pandas.

Mr Xi, China's leader-in-waiting, arrived in Ireland on Saturday evening after five days in the United States and attended a traditional banquet at Bunratty Castle.

Jobs and trade were the focus of the trip for Mr Xi and his delegation of 150 business leaders and government officials. Later yesterday he visited Taoiseach Enda Kenny and other political leaders at Dublin Castle to sign a number of trade agreements.

Human rights organisations, who had called on the Irish Government to tackle Mr Xi over China's human rights record, staged a protest outside.