Irish engineering company Kentz International has won a $12m telecommunications contract at a petrochemicals complex in southern China.
President McAleese was on hand to see the deal being signed in Shanghai at an Enterprise Ireland function.
Kentz was awarded the contract by a consortium including China's national oil company and Shell. The company says initial work has already begun at Kentz's engineering and design office in Clonmel, Co Tipperary.
Kentz employs more than 3,500 people and an annual turnover of €150m.
