China respects Venezuela's sovereignty and independence, spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mao Ning said on Tuesday in Beijing.
Mao made the remarks at a regular press briefing in response to a media query about the acting president of Venezuela.
Delcy Rodriguez, previously vice president of Venezuela, was sworn in Monday as the acting president of the country, after President Nicolas Maduro was taken by force on Jan 3 during a U.S. military operation against the South American nation.
"China respects Venezuela's sovereignty and independence, and respects the arrangements made by the Venezuelan government in accordance with its constitution and laws," Mao said.
China respects Venezuela's sovereignty, independence: spokeswoman
Growing people-to-people connections between Ireland and China are driving more bilateral collaboration, building on efforts to make China a welcoming destination for Irish visitors, said the chairperson of the Irish Chamber of Commerce in China Peter Markey.
Markey underscored that the visa-free policy for Irish passport holders has significantly enhanced accessibility, fundamentally changing perceptions of China.
"It certainly makes it a lot easier. For people who know it's now visa-free, it does change your perception of China. This is much more of a welcoming country. And they are happy to include it on the list of places they want to go," said the business advocate.
In addition to tourism, he underscored the potential for growth in educational exchanges as well as technology and nutritional industries.
"Certainly education is an area where we think there's quite a bit of growth. We do see more and more Chinese people going to Ireland for their education, as well as the Irish universities and technical institutions setting up joint ventures here in China. One of the big areas of Irish exports to China is around IT, computer services, and so forth. Irish food produce is growing strongly, as are Irish beverages, particularly whiskey and similar kinds of drinks. Tourism is growing strongly," he said.
The cultural dimension of the China-Ireland relationship is also gaining traction. Markey highlighted the upcoming performance of the Irish pop band Westlife in Shanghai, which symbolizes the growing appreciation for cultural exchange. He said that these interactions are instrumental in deepening people-to-people ties.
"The cultures are not totally different. We have a lot of common things that we build our cultures on. And, obviously, in China, one of the most important things is eating food. And obviously, Irish people like eating as well. When we all sit around a table, you build rapport and you build cultural connections. What we have in common is the basis to build relationships and build business on," he said.
China’s visa-free policy, innovative market help strengthen bilateral ties: Irish Chamber of Commerce
