DUBLIN, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- At the invitation of Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived here by chartered plane at Dublin International Airport on the evening of Jan. 16 local time, starting an official visit to Ireland.

Irish Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan, and Chinese Ambassador to Ireland He Xiangdong, among others, were present at the airport to welcome Li.

Li said that this year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Ireland. Over the past 45 years, the two countries have adhered to mutual respect and treated each other as equals, setting a fine example of friendly coexistence and win-win cooperation between countries with different histories, cultures and political systems. In particular, in recent years, under the strategic guidance and joint promotion of the two heads of state, China-Ireland relations have grown soundly and steadily, and cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful results. China and Ireland share similar development philosophies and converging interests, and the development of bilateral relations and cooperation enjoys broad prospects and huge potential. China is ready to work with Ireland to implement the important common understandings reached by the two heads of state, and push for new achievements in the China-Ireland strategic partnership for mutually beneficial cooperation to deliver more benefits to the two countries and the two peoples.

Li arrived in Dublin after attending the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2024 and paying an official visit to Switzerland. Upon leaving Switzerland, senior officials of the Swiss federal government, Chinese Ambassador to Switzerland Wang Shiting, and Chen Xu, China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland, saw him off at the airport.