business

China-Ireland trade maintains positive momentum despite pandemic impact: ambassador

A customer tries a traditional pastry of a time-honored brand in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, Sept. 25, 2020. (Xinhua/Song Weiwei)

  A customer tries a traditional pastry of a time-honored brand in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, Sept. 25, 2020. (Xinhua/Song Weiwei)

DUBLIN, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) — Trade between China and Ireland has maintained a very positive momentum despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Chinese Ambassador to Ireland He Xiangdong while addressing a virtual China Ireland business conference on Friday.

He said that bilateral trade reached 10 billion U.S. dollars in the first seven months of this year and China’s direct investment in Ireland increased by 40 million U.S. dollars in the first half of this year, more than doubled on a year-on-year basis.

Besides, TikTok has recently announced to invest 500 million U.S. dollars to set up its European data center in Ireland, he added.

All these “inspiring facts” have demonstrated “the momentum of stable growth of China-Ireland economic exchanges” despite the impact of the pandemic, the ambassador noted.

According to He, economic recovery, an ever-deepening friendship between China and Ireland, and a more open China will provide a powerful impetus, a solid foundation and a broader platform for the further development of bilateral economic cooperation.

“There is a good chance that economic, trade and investment links between China and Ireland will continue to boost with great stability, strong resilience and vast potential,” he said.

The Chinese ambassador made the remarks while speaking at the Virtual China Ireland Business Summit 2020, an annual event organized by Asia Matters, a Dublin-based think tank, in partnership with Cork City Council, Cork County Council and Cork Institute of Technology.

During the two-day event, which ended on Friday, government officials, business leaders and experts from China, Ireland and other countries held an in-depth discussion and exchanged views over a number of issues relating to the cooperation between China and Ireland in the fields of economy, trade, tourism, higher education, agrifood, technical innovation, etc. 

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