VISITING Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping reassured his Ireland hosts of China’s support for the euro and the eurozone.

    Xi arrived in Dublin on Saturday after his highly publicized trip to the United States.

    His trip comes at a time when the eurozone, of which Ireland is a member, faces a huge debt crisis with more of its members facing tough economic times and ratings downgrades.

    In talks with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny, Xi said China attaches importance to the status of the euro and expressed optimism about the future of the single European currency.

    “We believe the European Union has the ability, wisdom and solution to push forward relevant reforms and adjust itself to overcome the current difficulties,” Xi said, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

    “China will continue to support, in its own way, the efforts of the EU, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund in resolving (the) sovereign debt crisis in Europe.”

    The EU is China’s biggest export market.

    Xi said developing China-EU relations is a priority of China’s foreign policy.

    The Irish leader was quoted as saying his country wants to build closer relations with China and would provide preferential treatment for Chinese investors in Ireland.

    The two leaders witnessed the signing of several cooperation documents.

    “I look forward to opening a new chapter in the close and warm relationship between Ireland and China,” The Irish Times quoted Kenny as saying.

    Before he held talks with Kenny, Xi visited James Lynch’s farm near Shannon in southwestern Ireland.

    Shannon is Ireland’s only created town, being built in the 1960s as part of the development of the regional economy. Shannon is a very important industrial location, as well as being the site of the world’s first duty free airport.

    Shannon Free Zone is Ireland’s largest cluster of North American investments.

    Shannon’s focus on economic development makes the city comparable to Shenzhen. Both cities began as rural areas but saw exponential growth in recent decades, after government intervention to boost trade and manufacturing.

    (SD-Agencies)