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Xi
made the comments in a phone call with French President Emmanuel
Macron, Chinese state television reported, fortifying ties with
its European trading partner after Macron visited China in
April.
China faces an electric vehicle subsidy investigation by the
European Union and a looming probe into its steelmakers.
Meanwhile, several European countries have complained about
China's opaque laws and rules regarding foreign companies in the
country.
"China is willing to maintain high-level exchanges with the
French side," Xi said, adding that he welcomed more French
products entering the Chinese market.
Xi also said China was willing to strengthen cooperation with
France at the United Nations and other multilateral
institutions. China took over the presidency of the U.N.
Security Council (UNSC) this month.
The leader of the world's second-largest economy also called on
France to play a constructive role in promoting the positive
development of China-EU relations, as ties have been strained
over issues ranging from the EU's push to reduce supply chain
reliance on China to the war in Ukraine.
"China and the European Union should remain partners for
mutually beneficial cooperation," Xi said in the call.
The two leaders also exchanged views on the conflict in Gaza,
and agreed that it was imperative to avoid a further
deterioration of the situation, in particular an even more
serious humanitarian crisis, state television reported.
(Reporting by Ethan Wang and Bernard Orr; Editing by Toby Chopra
and Alex Richardson)
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