Chinese ambassador to Ireland He Xiangdong speaks at a reception in Dublin, Ireland, June 20, 2019. A reception was held here by the Chinese embassy in Ireland on Thursday to mark the 40th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between China and Ireland. (Xinhua)

DUBLIN, June 21 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese embassy in Ireland on Thursday night held a grand reception to mark the 40th anniversary of China-Ireland diplomatic ties.

Nearly 400 people from various circles of both countries and diplomats from several foreign missions in Ireland attended the event at Convention Center Dublin, a landmark building in the Irish capital.

Charles Flanagan, Irish minister for Justice and Equality, attended the reception on behalf of the Irish government.

Speaking at the reception, Chinese Ambassador to Ireland He Xiangdong, who assumed the office in May, said that great achievements have been made in various fields since the establishment of China-Ireland diplomatic ties, particularly after the establishment of the strategic partnership for mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides in 2012.

In the political front, frequent exchanges of visits have been seen between the leaders of the two countries, said He, adding that such high-level exchanges have played a guiding role for the development of China-Ireland relations.

In the economic, trade and investment fields, trade in goods between the two countries increased to over 14.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2018 from a meagre 5.15 million dollars in 1979 when the two countries established diplomatic ties, said He, adding that there are now over 400 Irish companies in China and more than 20 Chinese companies in Ireland.

Growth has been strong in science and technology, culture, education, people-to-people exchanges and exchanges at local government levels, he noted.

The cooperation between the sovereign funds of the two countries to co-fund R&D projects has entered a new phase, the ambassador said, adding that a Chinese cultural center, the first of its kind in Ireland, is under an accelerated pace of construction.

According to He, there are now over 5,000 Chinese students studying in Ireland and the Chinese language will soon become an alternative subject for college entrance exams in the country.

The ambassador said that a total of seven Chinese cities and provinces have twined with their Irish counterparts, and that more local governments from both sides have expressed a desire for more cooperation and exchange.

Over 120,000 trips have been made between the two countries since the launch of three direct flights between China and Ireland over the past year, said He, adding that an estimated 50,000 members of the Chinese community in Ireland have made significant contributions to the social and economic development of the country as well as to the development of China-Ireland relations.

China and Ireland cooperate well on international and regional issues, said the ambassador, adding that both sides support each other in playing a bigger role in international affairs.

Despite huge differences between the two countries in terms of social systems, development levels, historical and cultural backgrounds, and territory and population sizes, China and Ireland have set a model for building a win-win relationship of mutual trust and mutual benefits among different countries, he said.

The ambassador called on both sides to grasp the opportunities presented by the strong growth of the bilateral relationship and team up in dealing with the common challenges, particularly those posed by unilateralism and trade protectionism so that they can bring the China-Ireland strategic partnership for mutual beneficial cooperation to new heights.

For his part, Flanagan said that Ireland-China relations "are growing stronger with each passing year."

The minister also announced that Ireland will introduce a five-year multi-entry visa option for Chinese visitors, starting from July 1, 2019.

He said the new visa option for Chinese visitors to Ireland is a "testament to our commitment to strengthening the people-to-people links between our two countries and in recognition of the improved connectivity between us."

At the reception, Flanagan and the Chinese ambassador jointly unveiled a set of Irish and Chinese stamps to mark the 40th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between the two countries.