Story of cities #25: Shannon – a tiny Irish town inspires China’s economic boom

Created in 1959 to lure foreign investors with tax breaks, the Shannon Free Zone proved revolutionary across the world. But in today's world of looser trade and tax havens, Ireland's innovators face an uphill battle to stay relevant

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When Wen Jiabao visited the small Irish town of Shannon in 2005, it was like a religious pilgrimage for the then Chinese premier and arguably the world's second most powerful man. He was the latest in a long line of high-level Chinese dignitaries to come and pay their respects to the site on the west coast of Ireland where they believe China's rise to superpower status really began.

In the buildup to the visit, the Chinese ambassador had told his Irish hosts that they wanted time to allow Wen to pause for reflection on the "plateau" - a spot on Tullyglass Hill that overlooks a grey, windswept, industrial estate. "To us it was just this nondescript place on the top of a hill, but for the Chinese, they wanted to see where it all started," said Kevin Thompstone, president of the Shannon Chamber of Commerce, pausing at the memory of this incongruous spectacle. "This was the leader of China, a country with a population of 1.3 billion!"

US troops are coming through Shannon on planes, carrying weapons. Ireland is prostituting itself

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