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Taoiseach Enda Kenny today addressed the Ireland-China Investment and Trade Forum at the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, Dublin.

The Taoiseach said:

We had very fruitful discussions in our meeting, and we also concluded a number of important MOUs between Ireland and China in the areas of investment, education and business. I am convinced that we are on a firm pathway to ever deeper and stronger bilateral relations between our two countries.

The Taoiseach continued:

Since Ireland and China first exchanged diplomatic relations in 1979, bi-lateral trade has grown to over €5 billion.

Close business links between our countries were further encouraged by the establishment of a double taxation agreement between China and Ireland in 2000.

I am happy to say that China is now Ireland’s 10^th largest trading partner and our biggest in Asia.

It is a source of great pride to us that we are successful in winning business in China.  I believe it reflects many things that we have in common.  You just have to look a little beyond our respective sizes to find them!

We are both countries with long and illustrious histories and tradition.  We share a love of art and culture, and we each have a great sense of family, and of connectedness with our people.

There are also many similarities in the journeys that our two countries have taken.   We have both moved toward a knowledge-based economy built on innovation and technology, achieving significant economic growth.

The Taoiseach also spoke of Ireland's Presidency of the EU in 2013:

...this represents an invaluable opportunity to demonstrate the contribution Ireland can and does make at the heart of decision-making in Europe. 

Just three weeks ago, we agreed a new Treaty to further strengthen budgetary discipline and coordination within the euro area in a verifiable manner.

More binding and enforceable fiscal rules are good both for Ireland and for the eurozone.  But they must go hand-in-hand with greater efforts to support growth and jobs.

That is why I, with other members of the European Council, have insisted that we put sustainable growth and the creation of jobs back at the top of the EU agenda.

I welcome China’s support for the steps we are taking, and for your confidence in Europe and the eurozone.

The Taoiseach spoke of Ireland's many attractions as a location for doing business, and of the strong links between Ireland and China in education:

There are now around 5,000 Chinese students in third level education in Ireland with many more studying on English language courses.  Chinese students are the largest cohort of international students in Ireland from outside the EU.

MerrionStreet.ie spoke to some of the delegates at the forum this morning: