China is ready to fully restart exchanges with Germany and Europe in various fields, expand mutually beneficial cooperation and enhance mutual understanding, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Friday.

Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks during his meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the sidelines of the 59th Munich Security Conference opened on Friday.

China and Germany can actively prepare for a new round of inter-governmental consultations and chart the course for the development of bilateral relations to keep China-Germany cooperation at world-leading levels, said Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

He added that both sides should support multilateralism and free trade, reject practices of decoupling and severing supply chains, and safeguard the stability of global production and supply chains.

For his part, Scholz said at the meeting that he was glad to learn that China has overcome the pandemic and agreed to restart cooperation in various fields and launch the next round of inter-governmental consultations as soon as possible.

The German chancellor said that Germany would firmly develop economic and trade relations with China and oppose any form of decoupling, adding that strong Germany-China ties and mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation are conducive to global stability and prosperity.

The two also exchanged views on the Ukraine issue.

Wang said that China and Germany, both independent major countries, shoulder common responsibility for maintaining world peace and addressing global challenges.

China has always stood on the side of peace and committed itself to promoting peace talks and calling for an early ceasefire, the Chinese diplomat said, adding that he hoped Germany would play a constructive role in de-escalating the situation.

Sound, stable development of China-Germany relations

On the same day, Wang said China is willing to enhance communication and deepen understanding with Germany to promote the sound and stable development of China-Germany relations and improve global governance, during his meeting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.

Wang said the Munich Security Conference is an important international platform, and he expects the conference to speak out for peace, shape consensus on cooperation, jointly uphold multilateralism, uphold the UN Charter and safeguard the hard-won post-World War II peaceful situation.

Although China and Germany have different social systems and cultural backgrounds, safeguarding world peace and promoting global development serves the common interests of the two countries and is also their common responsibility, he said.

Baerbock, for her part, said Germany attaches great importance to its relations with China, adheres to the one-China principle and hopes that Germany and China can restart exchanges and cooperation in various fields as soon as possible and further strengthen economic and trade exchanges.

Wang arrived in Munich on Friday after his visits to France and Italy earlier this week and is expected to deliver a speech at the China session of this year's Munich Security Conference. He will continue his visits to Hungary and Russia after the stop in Germany.

(With input from Xinhua)