The total value of the education agreements signed in Beijing and Shanghai should be worth about €38m to the Irish economy.

In all, 18 agreements involving 11 Irish higher-education institutions and their Chinese counterparts were signed during the visit.

The Irish institutions involved included, virtually all the universities, DIT, Portobello College, Griffith College Dublin, Waterford Institute of Technology and Athlone Institute of Technology.

Reviewing the visit, Minister for Education Mary Hanafin said the direct involvement of her Chinese counterpart, the positive sentiments expressed by him in developing links with Ireland and the specific new measures agreed for action all added up to a very successful mission.