RELATIONS and communication between China and Ireland have improved over the last number of years, according to the Chinese ambassador, Ms Fan Huijuan. She was speaking at a reception held yesterday in the embassy marking the 47th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
The ambassador said the recent opening of an Irish Times bureau in Beijing "was a real step forward" in Chinese Irish relations. She congratulated Mr Conor O'Clery, Irish Times Asia Correspondent on "showing sides of China that few in Ireland may have known about before". She particularly emphasised coverage of Chinese social issues, which she believed were not always dealt with comprehensively in the western media.
Among those who attended yesterday's reception were the Minister for Social Welfare, Mr De Rossa; Minister of State Mr Bernard Durkan; the former Attorney General, Mr Harry Whelehan; and broadcaster Dr Brian Farrell.
The ambassador pointed out that the number of foreign correspondents reporting from China in recent years had increased. "There is now a whole range of reporters in China from all kinds of countries; this is to be welcomed." She said that she had spent some time working in the Chinese information department earlier in her career and "was used to dealing with journalists".
She hoped increased media coverage of China would help to correct some of the incorrect perceptions of her country.
The ambassador also welcomed a number of business people to the reception and said she hoped trade relations would continue to improve. One of the biggest problems in relations between the countries was language, although there were "ways to overcome this", she added.