Chinese VP meets Irish President on boosting ties Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (L front) meets with Irish President Michael D. Higgin...

Chinese VP meets Irish President on boosting ties

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (L front) meets with Irish President Michael D. Higgins (R front) in Dublin, capital of Ireland, Feb. 20, 2012. (Xinhua/Zhang Duo)

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (L) meets with Irish President Michael D. Higgins in Dublin, capital of Ireland, Feb. 20, 2012. (Xinhua/Zhang Duo)

DUBLIN, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping met here on Monday with Irish President Michael D. Higgins, discussing ways to boost the relations between China and Ireland.

This is first time for Higgins to host a meeting with Chinese vice president, who arrived in the country on Saturday for an official visit.

Later on Monday morning, Xi is scheduled to meet with Irish parliament leaders and to address a business forum at midday.

In recent years, the trade and economic cooperation between Ireland and China was booming. For one thing, the trade volume between China and Ireland hit 5.87 billion U.S. dollars in 2011, a growth of an astounding 1,000 percent over three decades.

Irish media continued their enthusiasm on covering Xi's tour in Ireland on Monday. Mainstream newspapers, including The Irish Times and The Irish Examiner, carry big photos about Xi's playing Gaelic football on the frontpages of Monday's edition, hailing the agreements made between Ireland and China during Xi's tour.

Later on Monday afternoon, the vice president is set to head to Turkey, the last leg of his three-nation tour.