Xi urges EU to judge independently, achieve strategic autonomy

BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday said China's development has been an opportunity for the European Union (EU) and urged the EU to make correct judgment independently and truly achieve strategic autonomy.

Xi made the remarks in a phone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Noting that China-EU relations are facing new opportunities as well as various challenges, Xi said that the key is to keep to the general direction and keynote of China-EU relations from a strategic perspective, respect each other and remove distractions.

Xi said China stands ready to work with the EU to ensure the success of a series of important political agendas for the next stage through consultation, deepen and expand practical cooperation across the board, strengthen communication on climate change and other global governance issues, and jointly practice multilateralism.