A delegation from China is in Dublin for talks with officials in an effort to foster closer co-operation between the two countries on science and technology.

Ireland is the only EU state which does not have a formal scientific co-operation agreement with China, according to Mr Wang Shaogia, director general of the department of international co-operation in the Chinese state science and technology commission.

"We need to know each other better," he told a meeting at Forfas yesterday. "We have a lot of opportunities to work together."

Mr Shaogia is leading a team of five which is in Europe to assess opportunities for scientific exchange; it had a series of meetings in Vienna before arriving in Dublin.

He is also involved in ongoing negotiations for a new EU-Chinese agreement due this year that will encompass the proposed EU fifth framework science budget

His country has formal co-operative agreements with 96 countries, he said through an interpreter, including all other EU states.

The delegation discussed the potential for an agreement with officials from the office of science and technology on Wednesday.

The result of the meetings, he said, suggested that the relationship between the two states was "not yet mature enough" to establish a formal agreement.

Yesterday's meeting was attended by a range of research specialists from the universities, Government Departments, the Health Research Board, Bord Iascaigh Mhara and the Irish Research Scientists Association.

It was chaired by Dr Killian Halpin, who manages the science and technology division within Forfas.

Mr Shaogia discussed how China had reorganised state involvement in research, reducing spending on applied research and forcing scientists to form alliances with Chinese business enterprises.

The savings were redirected towards basic research, he said.