Chinese vice president eyes closer links with Ireland

BEIJING, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Vice President Xi Jinping met with visiting Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny in Beijing on Monday, vowing closer China-Ireland as well as China-Europe relations.

Xi recalled his latest trip to Ireland in February, saying he felt during his tour that the two countries were highly complementary in many areas such as technology, market and human resources, thus both sides enjoy great potential for expanding cooperation.

China and Ireland respect and trust each other despite differences in their systems and national conditions, and have set an example for friendly relations between countries with different cultures and systems, he said.

The development of China-Ireland relations can serve as a driving force in boosting China-Europe ties, Xi added.

The Chinese vice president expressed his hope that both countries will continue to respect and support each other on major issues concerning respective core interests, and achieve greater progress in developing their ties.