On April 7th, the Embassy of China in Ireland hosted a reception to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the UCD Soccer Team’s historic visit to China.

In his remarks, Ambassador Zhao noted that the team’s 1976 visit, as a pioneer of people-to-people exchanges and friendship between China and Ireland, coincided with China’s Fifth Five-Year Plan. Today, as China launches its Fifteenth Five-Year Plan, practical cooperation and cultural exchanges between the two nations have yielded fruitful results across various fields. The Ambassador expressed his belief that the team will fully experience China’s developmental vitality during their commemorative trip later this month, writing a new chapter in the friendship between the two peoples.

The UCD team members enthusiastically shared memories of their visit, expressing what a great honor it was to be the first Western European team to visit China. They look forward to their 50th anniversary commemorative trip at the end of this month and hope to share the story of their two visits to China, spanning half a century, with a wider audience.