China, Ireland eye greater pragmatic cooperation

Bilateral pragmatic cooperation, China-European Union ties and the championing of international law and the authority of the United Nations were high on the agenda as President Xi Jinping met on Monday in Beijing with visiting Taoiseach, or prime minister, of Ireland Micheal Martin.

Hailing both nations as peace-loving, inclusive and self-reliant, Xi said China is ready to step up strategic communication with Ireland and deepen political mutual trust.

He noted that bilateral annual trade has quadrupled since the two countries established a strategic partnership for mutually beneficial cooperation in 2012, with two-way investment growing in a balanced way.

Annual two-way trade volume has exceeded 20 billion euros ($23.4 billion) for four consecutive years, Chinese Ambassador to Ireland Zhao Xiyuan told Irish radio station NewsTalk last month.

Xi said China is willing to strengthen economic and trade cooperation with Ireland, and synergize development strategies in fields such as artificial intelligence, the digital economy, and medicine and healthcare.

China is also ready to promote two-way investment with Ireland, leverage each other's strengths, share opportunities and pursue common development, he added.

The two sides should enhance cooperation in education, culture and tourism to foster greater people-to-people affinity, and China welcomes more young Irish people to come to China for study and exchanges, Xi said.

Martin stressed that Ireland firmly adheres to the one-China policy.

He also said that Ireland is willing to deepen cooperation with China in areas including trade, investment, science and technology, biomedicine, renewable energy, artificial intelligence and education.

Ireland will assume the rotating presidency of the European Union in the second half of the year.

Xi said he hopes that Ireland "will play a constructive role in promoting the healthy and stable development of China-EU relations".

China and the EU should keep the long-term picture in mind, uphold the partnership and view and handle differences objectively and rationally to work for win-win cooperation, he said.

Martin said it is very important to maintain the stable development of EU-China relations, and Ireland is willing to play a constructive role in promoting the healthy development of EU-China ties.

When speaking about the intertwined changes and turmoil in today's world, Xi warned that "unilateralist bullying practices bring serious impacts to the international order".

All countries should respect the development paths independently chosen by the people of other nations and abide by international law and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and "major-countries should take the lead" in this regard, Xi said.

China and Ireland both support multilateralism and advocate international fairness and justice, and they should strengthen coordination and cooperation in international affairs, jointly uphold the authority of the UN, and drive the global governance system toward a more just and reasonable direction, he added.

Martin said China plays an indispensable and important role in international affairs and has made contributions to upholding the authority of the UN and promoting world peace.

The settlement of any international dispute should comply with international law, and Ireland is willing to maintain close communication and coordination with China to uphold international law and free and open trade, and promote global prosperity and stability, he added.

zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn