A newly opened air route between China and Ireland is expected to strengthen cultural ties and business exchanges.
With 239 passengers on board, the debut flight linking Shanghai and Dublin took off from Pudong International Airport on Monday, marking the official launch of the direct service by China Eastern Airlines.
The new route adds to existing direct connections such as Dublin–Beijing flights operated by Hainan Airlines, paving the way for deeper academic, business and cultural exchanges.
At the airport, Chinese students, tourists and Irish business travelers welcomed the opening of the line.
"I studied in China, two years in Beijing, and now I've opened a business in Shanghai," said William, an Irish business owner in China.
Aviation expert Chad Huang has spent more than a decade working to make these direct flights possible and believes the introduction of the new route will bring a big all-round travel boost.
"Super convenient for business, tourism, all the commuter activity between Ireland and China," said Huang, who is also managing director of Jade Aviation.
New China-Ireland direct flights boost exchanges
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy hospital ship, Auspicious Ark, departed from a port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, on Wednesday for a humanitarian medical service mission in Africa and South Asia.
Mission Harmony-2026, the 12th iteration of Mission Harmony since 2010, is scheduled to last more than 200 days, during which the ship will visit multiple African and South Asian countries to provide free medical services to local people.
The vessel left the port at around 10:00 on the day, marking the first overseas mission since its commissioning.
The hospital ship houses 18 clinical departments and five diagnostic support departments, enabling it to perform more than 60 types of examinations, treatments, and surgeries across general surgery, orthopedics, obstetrics and gynecology, ophthalmology, and other disciplines.
It is also equipped with eight standard operating rooms.
"The hospital ship Auspicious Ark shoulders the responsibility of spreading peace. For its first overseas mission, it will visit many countries and have long port calls. All officers and soldiers on the mission will build a maritime bridge of friendship through professional medical services," said Gao Guozheng, a crew member.
The crew will also carry out cultural exchanges with people in those countries.
Chinese navy hospital ship sets sail for humanitarian medical mission in Africa, South Asia
