STORY: Vlog: Exploring dazzling Irish products at 4th CICPE
SHOOTING TIME: April 15, 2024
DATELINE: April 17, 2024
LENGTH: 00:04:00
LOCATION: HAIKOU, China
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Ireland Pavilion at the CICPE
2. STANDUP (English): HONG LIANG, Xinhua correspondent
3. SOUNDBITE (English): PAUL DALY, CEO, Irish Casing Company
4. STANDUP (English): HONG LIANG, Xinhua correspondent
5. SOUNDBITE (English): ERNEST CANTILLON, Forest Glen International
6. STANDUP (English): HONG LIANG, Xinhua correspondent
7. SOUNDBITE (English): SARA O'NEIL, Artist and Designer, Eadach
8. STANDUP (English): HONG LIANG, Xinhua correspondent
9. SOUNDBITE (English): DEREK LAMBE, Economic Counsellor, Embassy of Ireland in China
10. STANDUP (English): HONG LIANG, Xinhua correspondent

STORYLINE:

STANDUP (English): HONG LIANG, Xinhua correspondent
"2024 marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Ireland and China. And Ireland happens to be the guest of honor at this year's China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE), currently underway in Hainan Province. What kinds of products are showcased by Irish companies and organizations at the expo? Join me today. Let's find out."

STANDUP (English): HONG LIANG, Xinhua correspondent
As a food lover, the first thing that catches my eye is, of course, the food!

SOUNDBITE (English): HONG LIANG, Xinhua correspondent
"Nice to meet you."
SOUNDBITE (English): PAUL DALY, CEO, Irish Casing Company
"Nice to meet you. Very welcome to my stand."
SOUNDBITE (English): HONG LIANG, Xinhua correspondent
"Could you introduce some of your products to me?"
SOUNDBITE (English): PAUL DALY, CEO, Irish Casing Company
"Yes, this is the beef tripe. It's cooked in pieces. It's a very nice product.
SOUNDBITE (English): HONG LIANG, Xinhua correspondent
"Is it from Ireland?"
SOUNDBITE (English): PAUL DALY, CEO, Irish Casing Company
"It's from Ireland."

Irish Casing Company is one of the largest manufacturers and sellers of meat byproducts in Europe.
Collaborating with a Chinese partner, the company develops ready-made dishes in China.

SOUNDBITE (English): PAUL DALY, CEO, Irish Casing Company
"The reason why we came to Hainan is that we want to establish a processing plant to bring our Irish raw material to finish it. So one of the fully cooked products and we make them into retail and restaurant-ready packs. It's a very professional show that we can show our products very well. So this has been a major help for us and get an exposure from the press and from different sources. It's spreading the word very fast of what we're gonna do."

STANDUP (English): HONG LIANG, Xinhua correspondent
"I think I'm pretty much full. Now let's find something to drink."

When thinking of drinks from Ireland, whiskey may come to your mind first.
Ireland has a long-standing tradition of whiskey-making, dating back centuries.
This year, seven exhibitors bring more than 100 brands to the Hainan expo.

SOUNDBITE (English): HONG LIANG & ERNEST CANTILLON
"Slainte!"

SOUNDBITE (English): HONG LIANG, Xinhua correspondent
Do you have any recommendations for me?

SOUNDBITE (English): ERNEST CANTILLON, Forest Glen International
Yes, don't drink too much whiskey. That's all the recommendation.

SOUNDBITE (English): ERNEST CANTILLON, Forest Glen International
"This is my first time at the expo. I wanted to see what customers wanted. We want to talk to them and see their reaction. It's very satisfying for me to pour a drink for someone and they say, oh I love your products. That's great, that connection."

STANDUP (English): HONG LIANG, Xinhua correspondent
"In fact, what makes me feel intoxicated is not only the Irish whiskey, but also Irish fashion brands."

Eadach is one of them.

The brand is famous for its richly colorful hand-drawn illustrations printed on silk. Most prints are inspired by Irish myths and legends.

SOUNDBITE (English): SARA O'NEIL, Artist and Designer, Eadach
"My silk is from Hangzhou. I have a wonderful printer there and I love how in China you have such an incredible history and heritage of silk. So I thought if I'm going to source silk where better to source from, and what I love is you have the ancient history, but also incredible technology for digital printing. So I have an amazing printer there who does very very small batch printing for me, which ties in very well with the kind of sustainability ethos that I use for my production."

Irish companies seek to further tap into the Chinese market through the expo.

SOUNDBITE (English): DEREK LAMBE, Economic Counsellor, Embassy of Ireland in China
"We have 29 Irish companies in our pavilion with 50 brands being represented here. The incentives offered by Hainan and the Free Trade Port are very, very interesting to Irish companies, which I think is why we've seen such a big turnout of Irish companies coming to the Hainan expo this year."

SOUNDBITE (English): HONG LIANG, Xinhua correspondent
"After today's visit, which product is your favorite? Don't hesitate any longer, come and see for yourself at the Ireland Pavilion at China International Consumer Products Expo!"

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Haikou, China.
(XHTV)