DUBLIN (AFP) ― Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny held talks Sunday with China’s Vice President Xi Jinping as the second day of his visit to the eurozone member focused on trade and investment and the signing of a number of bi-lateral deals.

“We welcome the opportunities which our growing relationship with China presents,” Kenny told Xi, the Asian power’s leader-in-waiting, at an official dinner in Dublin Castle.

“We welcome the growing people to people links in trade, education and tourism,” he added.

Kenny said both countries understood the need to reform and innovate.

“Just as China has transformed itself in its recent history, so too has Ireland.”

Kenny said the two countries’ enterprises and institutions were building long term sustainable relationships

“Ireland and China have much to offer each other in food and agriculture, in high technology research and in investment. We should make every effort to realize that potential.”

Xi, who is expected to lead China for a decade starting next year, held talks with Kenny on the second day of his three-day visit.

Two agreements aimed at improving trade and business links were signed by Irish Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton and China’s Vice-Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng.

One agreement is designed to encourage cooperation between the business sector in both countries and the other sets up a working group to promote investment.

“These agreements provide for a comprehensive engagement between our two Governments to deepen and expand our enterprise links in order to provide substantial growth in the level of services trade,” Bruton said.

Earlier Xi had visited a dairy farm in County Clare in the west of the country where a newly-born Friesian heifer calf was named after him.

Farm owner James Lynch said Xi had an “exceptionally good background in agriculture” and was keenly interested in Irish farming methods.

“I know more about my calves than my children, there’s so much traceability,” Lynch told Xi, “Your excellency, we will be calling this calf after yourself.”

Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney, who accompanied Xi to the farm and later to the famously beautiful Cliffs of Moher, a UNESCO Geo Park on the west coast, said the Irish food sector has big export trade opportunities with China.

“Unlike milk production in most parts of the world Irish farmers produce milk from a grass based system which offers a unique selling point in terms of sustainability and quality control,” Coveney said.

Xi also visited Dublin’s Croke Park sports stadium where he was given a demonstration of Ireland’s traditional Gaelic football and hurling games.

He is also due to attend a performance of Riverdance, the international musical hit show based on Irish step-dancing.

On Monday Xi will meet President Michael D Higgins and attend an Irish-China trade and investment forum in Dublin involving about 300 companies.

Ireland is the only EU country Xi is visiting on an international tour. He arrived in Ireland on Saturday after a visit to the United States and is due to depart for Turkey on Monday.