On December 5, Ambassador Zhao Xiyuan met with Mr. Joe Hackett, Secretary General of Department of Foreign Affairs of Ireland. Minister Counselor Yang Tong of the Chinese Embassy and Director General Iseult Fitzgerald of Asia Pacific Unit of DFA were also present.

Ambassador Zhao said that in recent years, under the strategic guidance and joint promotion of the leaders of the two countries, the strategic partnership for mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Ireland has developed steadily, and fruitful results have been achieved in various fields such as politics, economy, trade, and culture. China looks forward to working with Ireland to push the development of bilateral relations to a new level.

Secretary General Joe Hackett congratulated Ambassador Zhao on his new appointment, highly appreciated the positive momentum in Ireland-China relations between Ireland and China. He is willing to work with Ambassador Zhao to further promote the in-depth development of the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries.