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Ireland, located in northwest Europe, is known as the "Emerald Island", and this year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Ireland, and Ireland was also invited to appear as the guest of honor at the 4th Consumer Expo. This year's Irish Pavilion brought together representatives of 29 exhibiting companies and institutions, showcasing more than 200 exhibits from more than 50 Irish brands, focusing on beverages, food, tourism and other dimensions, showing the unique charm of the Emerald Isle in an all-round way.
An exuberant tap dance performance is a unique ritual to welcome all audiences at the Irish National Pavilion, and there's no way to visit an Irish home without a glass of whiskey. On the first stop of the visit to the Irish National Pavilion, the Irish Ambassador to China, Ann Devane, invited reporters to the whisky bar.
Whisky is Ireland's national drink, and Ambassador Ann Devan said that last year, Irish whiskey exports increased by 20% year-on-year. From 2018 to 2023, Irish whiskey exports to China more than sixfold. More than 20 Irish whiskey brands participated in this year's Expo, and the surging vitality of the Chinese consumer market has given them broad prospects.
Ellevan, Ambassador of Ireland to China: China is a very important market for Ireland and it is growing very fast, and our whisky distributors come back to Hainan every year at the CICGF because they know that the duty-free policy on Hainan Islands is a very good opportunity for them.
At the second stop of the Irish National Pavilion, Ambassador Ann Devan and reporters sat down at the table in the food exhibition area.
Ireland is a world-renowned agricultural powerhouse, with even more cattle than people, with a population of more than 5 million as of 2023, while the number of cattle exceeds 7.3 million, and meat export is one of Ireland's largest industries. For Irish meat operators, China's maturing consumer market presents opportunities.
Sulliman, Head of Food Ireland in China: The demand for beef in China has grown dramatically over the past few years, and we are very excited that the scope of Chinese food service is expanding and the consumer market is becoming more and more high-end, creating a lot of opportunities for Irish food to enter the Chinese market.
Ambassador Anne said that Ireland and China are both countries with splendid ancient civilizations, and China's unilateral visa-free policy for Ireland and the resumption of direct flights between Beijing and Dublin will effectively promote tourism, economic and trade and business exchanges between the two countries.
Irish Ambassador to China, Adevan: There will be four direct flights a week from Beijing to Dublin from June this year, and Ireland's trade with China has grown exponentially over the past five years. We are also seeing two-way investment, there are a lot of Irish companies investing in China, there are more than 100 Irish companies in China, providing more than 5,000 jobs, and we are also pleased that many Chinese companies have chosen Ireland as their European headquarters and invested in Ireland.
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Editor: Dong Lindan