China and the European Union should maintain high-level communication and dialogue to enhance mutual understanding and trust, reduce misunderstanding and misjudgment and properly handle their differences, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday.

Xi made the remarks during a phone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, calling for efforts to ensure the stable development of China-EU relations. It has been proven again recently that France's advocacy of EU strategic independence is right, Xi said.

To achieve effective epidemic prevention and control, China and France should advance relevant cooperation, consolidate cooperation in traditional areas such as civil nuclear energy, aviation and aerospace, and expand cooperation in new fields such as artificial intelligence, biopharmacy and ocean affairs, he told Macron.

China stands ready to work with France to continue cooperation on biodiversity conservation, deepen green cooperation, implement the Global Development Initiative, and carry out tripartite cooperation in Africa and other regions, Xi said.

He said China and France also need to support each other in hosting the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Macron said France is firmly committed to promoting the development of EU-China relations and constructively and properly handling and resolving differences between the two sides. He added that France is committed to promoting EU-China cooperation in economy and trade, tackling climate change, and protecting biodiversity.

France hopes to enhance coordination with China on the upcoming Group of 20 summit in Italy and the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, he told Xi.

Macron expressed hope that the EU-China investment agreement will come into effect at an early date.