Ireland eyes more agri-food exports to China: officials

DUBLIN, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Ireland looks forward to exporting more agri-food products to China, senior Irish agriculture officials said here on Monday.

The Irish side voiced the wish during a virtual meeting between the Chinese ambassador to Ireland He Xiangdong and Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue, said a press statement posted on the Chinese embassy's website.

Martin Heydon, Minister of State responsible for new market development at the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine also attended the meeting, said the statement.

China is now Ireland's fourth largest market for agri-food and the second-largest market for Irish dairy products and pig meat, said the Irish side during the meeting, adding that Ireland attaches great importance to the Chinese market and looks forward to exporting more high-quality agri-food products to China.

Economic and trade cooperation serves as an important bond for China-Ireland relations, said the Chinese ambassador, noting that trade between the two countries reached a new high in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bilateral trade increased by 22.4 percent year-on-year in the first two months of this year, with Irish exports to China up by 13.2 percent, he said.

"The China-Ireland agri-food cooperation is of great potential," he said, adding that China stands ready to work with Ireland to further promote bilateral cooperation in various fields including agri-food sector.