Irish Prime Minister: Willing to deepen economic and trade cooperation with China, enhance multilateral affairs coordination

Beijing, January 7 (Xinhua) -- Irish Prime Minister Martin, who is currently on an official visit to China, stated in a joint interview with Chinese media in Beijing on the 5th that Ireland is willing to deepen cooperation with China in areas such as economy and trade, green energy, and technological innovation, and enhance coordination in multilateral affairs.

This is the first visit to China by the Irish Prime Minister in 14 years, and also the first visit to China by Prime Minister Martin since taking office. He highly praised the achievements in the development of bilateral relations in recent years and emphasized the key role played by high-level dialogue.

Our relationship in trade has become very close, "Martin told reporters. Since his first visit to China as Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Employment 20 years ago, the bilateral trade volume between Ireland and China has achieved exponential growth. This strong economic and trade bond has become the cornerstone of the stable development of bilateral relations.

Looking ahead to future cooperation between the two sides, Martin will focus on emerging fields such as digital economy and green transformation. He introduced that Ireland is planning to invest heavily in offshore wind power development to utilize its abundant wind energy resources. This will provide new opportunities for investment cooperation for Chinese enterprises.

In Martin's view, Ireland, as the only English speaking country in the European Union and Eurozone, has a unique advantage in accessing the vast European market. He welcomes more Chinese companies to increase investment in financial services, infrastructure construction, biopharmaceuticals and other fields, and looks forward to Irish companies exploring the Chinese market more deeply.

He said that the Chinese market is very important for Ireland, especially in areas where Ireland has advantages such as agriculture, food, dairy products, and life sciences. Both sides can strengthen cooperation.

The flourishing development of cultural exchanges between China and Ireland also left a deep impression on Martin. The classic Irish performance 'River Dance', the traditional music of the Chieftains Band, and the popular songs of the 'West Side Boys' group are widely popular in China, and the active literary interaction and increasingly convenient direct flights between the two countries are constantly bringing people closer together. He introduced that in the field of educational cooperation, numerous effective partnerships have been established between the two universities.

When it comes to the current global challenges, Martin said that dialogue is the key to establishing strong political relationships and resolving differences, and disputes should be resolved through peaceful means. Ireland and China are both staunch supporters of multilateralism and committed to maintaining the international system with the United Nations at its core. Maintaining communication at all levels between Ireland and China has irreplaceable value in discussing global issues and coordinating positions, "he said.

In maintaining the multilateral trading system, Martin called for strengthening the authority of the United Nations, supporting its reform agenda, and affirming the role of the World Trade Organization in resolving trade disputes. We firmly uphold an open and free trade environment and oppose destructive tariff policies

Ireland will assume the rotating presidency of the European Union in the second half of the year. Martin stated that Ireland supports a pragmatic policy towards China within the EU and is committed to promoting the formation of an effective framework for managing differences and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation in the EU China relationship.

The potential for future cooperation between China and Ireland is promising, "Martin said." Mutual respect allows us to share wisdom and abilities, and ultimately create more outstanding results