Chinese Vice Premier Begins Visit to IrelandChinese Vice Premier Li Lanqing arrived Ireland on Tuesday for a four-day official visit to the nation.In a written statement issued upon his arrival at Dublin Airport, Li said his visit was aimed at further deepening the mutual understanding and friendship of the peoples of China and Ireland, expanding consensus and developing the friendly cooperation between the two countries in various fields. "Free from conflict of fundamental interests, both China and Ireland are committed to the development of their respective economies and the maintenance of world peace and stability. The promotion of Sino-Irish relations serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples," Li said. He added that the Chinese government attaches importance to developing friendly cooperation with Ireland. In recent years, thanks to the joint efforts, the exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in the political, economic, trade and other areas have yielded abundant fruits and promise broad prospects for future development. The Chinese side stands ready to join hands with the Irish side to continue to push forward China-Ireland relations in the new century. Among those to greet the Chinese vice premier were Irish Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy and Chinese Ambassador to Ireland Zhang Xiaokang. Ireland was the last leg of Li's four-nation Latin American and European tour which has taken him to Cuba, Malta and the Netherlands. The Chinese premier also attended the first South Summit in Havana. |
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