Xi tells EU leaders China wants to be 'key partner’ on trade

China's President Xi Jinping receiving European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel ahead of the 24th EU-China Summit in Beijing on Dec 7. - AFP

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping told European Union leaders that he wants the two sides to be key trade partners capable of building trust over supply chains, as they met in Beijing to hash out a litany of economic concerns and frustrations.

"China is promoting high-quality development and high-level opening up, and is willing to regard the EU as a key partner in economic and trade cooperation,” Xi said in a meeting Thursday (Dec 7) in Beijing with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel. He said China wants to consider Europe a "trusted partner in industrial and supply chain cooperation to pursue mutual benefit and win-win results,” state broadcaster China Central Television reported.