Closer cultural ties between Ireland and China would be mutually beneficial and should be actively fostered, the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Ms de Valera, said yesterday.
Speaking to representatives of China's cultural community in Beijing during an official visit, Ms de Valera said a stronger cultural bond would help strengthen relations between the two countries in general.
The Minister said the cultural histories of Ireland and China could be traced back to ancient times, with folklore and music traditions in both countries among the oldest surviving in the world.
The establishment of the Asia Strategy by Ireland following the Taoiseach's visit to China in 1998 had helped to foster closer economic relations, she added. The building of closer cultural relations between Ireland and China in the last few years has already resulted in a huge increase in the number of Chinese students choosing Ireland for their overseas studies.
In addition, a growing number of Irish educational institutions have developed strong links with universities in China, she said.
"Ireland is proud of its international reputation as a premier educational centre; we are equally proud of our indigenous traditional culture and of the great contribution we have made to the canon of great European literature." The Minister yesterday visited the Great Wall outside Beijing, the Forbidden City and the National Gallery. Last night she was a special guest at a reception hosted in her honour by the Irish Ambassador to China, Mr Declan Connolly.
Ms de Valera travels to Shanghai today where she will attend a banquet organised by the vice-mayor of the city.
On Tuesday, the Minister and her Chinese counterpart, Mr Sun Jiazheng, agreed a cultural exchange which will involve Ireland holding a major arts festival in China in 2003, with China staging a similar event in Ireland that year.