Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern reaffirmed Thursday that his government regards Taiwan as a part of China in an in an interview with Xinhua.

"Ireland accepts that Taiwan is a province of China," Ahern said.

He said Ireland in 1971 voted in favor of the U.N. resolution 2758 recognizing the government of the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate representative of China at the United Nations.

This "one China" policy was reaffirmed in 1979 when Ireland established diplomatic relations with China, and "all Irish governments since then have followed the same policy," he said.

Noting that the concept of "one country, two systems" is already in practice in Hong Kong and Macao, Ahern said that it is also applicable to Taiwan.