BERLIN - China has confidence in Europe and the euro, and will continue to back the European Union (EU)'s efforts to tackle the debt crisis, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said on Wednesday.

Yang made the remarks during his stay in Berlin for the second round of China-Germany Foreign Ministerial Strategic Dialogue.

Despite encountering difficulties at the moment, Europe is still an important force in the international community, Yang said while meeting with his German counterpart Guido Westerwelle.

The stability and growth of Europe's economy could benefit all countries in the world, and China is willing to work with the internatioanl community to continune to support, in various ways, EU's efforts to tackle the debt crisis, Yang said.

During the talks, Yang also noted that China attaches great importance to the EU's role in the international affairs and fully backs the European integration process.

On bilateral relations, Yang said experience since the establishment of diplomatic ties nearly 40 years ago has proved that the direct and close contacts between leaders of the two contries played an important role in guiding the development of the Sino-German relations.

Yang believes that the two countries should further promote high-level mutual visits, expand the economic and trade cooperation, deepen people-to-people exhanges, and enhance dialogue and communications on the basis of mutual respects, so as to push foward the comprehensive development of Sino-German relations.

In turn, Westerwelle expressed gratitude for China's participation in the international conference on Afghanistan's future held in Bonn, and the appreciation for Chinese constructive role in pressing ahead the peaceful reconstruction process in Afghanistan.

Germany values its relations with China, as both sides have carried out expansive and intensive dialogue and cooperation in political, economic, cultural and many other fields, Westerwelle said, adding that Germany is to take advantage of the 40th anniversary of two countries forging diplomatic ties to further tap the potentials for bilateral cooperation, and elevate the relations between the two countries.

China and Germany held four strategic dialogues at the vice-minister level since 2006, and agreed in 2010 to upgrade their dialogues to minister-level.