MUNICH — State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz in Munich on Feb 14, and vowed to promote cooperation in various fields.

During their talks, Wang thanked Austria for its precious support for China in fighting the novel coronavirus epidemic.

With frequent high-level exchanges between China and Austria, Wang said, bilateral relations have grown rapidly in recent years.

Recalling the visit of Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen and Chancellor Kurz to China in 2018, Wang said that the visit, as a much-told story in the history of international exchanges, has been exerting positive effects on the China-Austria relationship.

China will further deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various areas with Austria as a trusted partner and strengthen mutual support and cooperation in international affairs, said Wang.

Kurz wished China success in the fight against the epidemic at an early date, saying that Austria is ready to continue to provide necessary support.

As the year 2021 will mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties, Kurz said, Austria will take it as an opportunity to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of both countries, to strengthen cooperation in areas such as economy and trade, and tourism, as well as to push for fresh progress in the Austria-China friendly strategic partnership.