DUBLIN, Dec. 7 -- Irish President Michael D. Higgins says he very much welcomes theopportunity of deepening the relationship between Ireland and China.
In an interview with Xinhua on the eve of his state visit to China, Higgins said, with regardsto Ireland's new Asian Strategy, China is considered its primary partner.
With regards to the future, Higgins urged the two countries to develop cooperation inscience and technology, particularly at the high end of science and technology.
He said the two countries have made "a very good start" with the China IrelandTechnology Growth Capital Fund, which has been funded from both sides to about 100million U.S. dollars at the present time.
The fund, set up in January 2014 with equal commitments from Ireland's NationalPensions Reserve Fund (NPRF) and China Investment Corporation (CIC), is aimed atsupporting relevant companies of both countries to carry out R&D activities.
"The fund is very, very useful in that regard," Higgins said.
Higgins said there are great opportunities as the two countries face common challenges atplanetary level to use science and technology for the benefit of mankind in eliminatingglobal poverty and preventable illnesses.
"China has great experience in that, in malaria and TB and other areas," he said. "Ourfuture must be about cooperation."
In the interview, Higgins said Ireland and China must come together to confront thedanger that is "represented to our common existence by unaccountable, speculativecapital."
"The real economy has never presented us with difficulties. We have modernized in thereal economy. But we, and every other country, remains open to the threat as I describedit, of speculative capital, that is neither transparent nor accountable," he said.
