DUBLIN, June 10 (Xinhua) -- Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny on Thursday met with senior Chinese legislator Wang Zhaoguo to discuss ways to boost bilateral cooperation.
During the meeting, Kenny said the Irish government strongly wishes to establish a platform to strengthen its friendly cooperation with China, adding that the Irish government wishes Chinese people to have further understanding of Ireland.
The Irish government welcomes more Chinese firms to make investment in Ireland, and also welcomes more Chinese tourists to visit Ireland, said Kenny.
For his part, Wang, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislative body, congratulated Kenny on the swearing-in of Ireland's new prime minister.
The Chinese legislator is leading an NPC delegation to Ireland for a five-day official goodwill visit starting from Wednesday.
Wang said that the two countries enjoy firm mutual political trust, close high-level contacts, rapid development of economic and trade cooperation, further people-to-people and cultural exchanges and active regional and non-governmental exchanges.
The friendship between China and Ireland is deeply rooted in the hearts and minds of the two peoples, and the two countries have all along seen a smooth and healthy development of bilateral ties, said Wang.
Wang appreciated Ireland's "Asian Strategy" with China as its important partner and praised the Irish government's new measures in areas like economic and trade cooperation, international education and tourism.
China thanks Ireland's adherence to the one-China policy and its support for China's core interests and major concerns, he said.
China and Ireland are supplementary, with huge potential and broad prospects of cooperation, Wang said, adding that China encourages its stronger companies to make investment in Ireland.
China attaches great importance to developing ties with Ireland and is ready to work with it to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in all fields and push bilateral ties for more outcomes so as to create more wealth for the two peoples, he said.
Wang believed Ireland, led by new Prime Minister Kenny, would overcome the difficulties brought about by the global financial crisis and build a better country.
Ireland is the second leg of Wang's ongoing three-nation Europe tour, which has taken him to Ukraine and will see him visit Poland before returning to China.