GUIYANG - Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday held talks with Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence Simon Coveney in Guiyang, capital city of southwest China's Guizhou Province.

Wang said that China-Ireland relations have been maintaining healthy and stable development and have become increasingly mature. The two sides could give full play to their respective advantages to strengthen international cooperation against the COVID-19 pandemic and maintain smooth and stable industrial and supply chains, so as to help accelerate the recovery of the global economy.

China attaches importance to Ireland's unique role and influence in international and regional affairs, Wang said, adding that Ireland is a stable and strong force in the European Union, and it's believed that Ireland will continue to play a positive role in developing healthy and steady China-EU relations.

For his part, Coveney said that Ireland is an honest friend to China in the EU and is willing to be a reliable partner. The Irish side is looking forward to the further improvement and development of EU-China relations.