Chinese Premier Li Keqiang stressed the need to work together with the EU in economic globalization and free trade when he met with European Union foreign affairs chief Frederica Mogherini in Beijing on Tuesday.

The meeting comes as the seventh EU-China Strategic Dialogue gets underway, which is the first high-level exchange between these two parties since US President Donald Trump took office in the White House and Britain began its “Brexit” procedures to leave the EU.

Hailing the progress of China-EU relations, Li said China and EU should together send the positive signal to the world in maintaining regional and world peace, facing global challenges, reforming the global governance system and enhancing economic globalization and free and fair trade in response to the challenges of uncertainties in global issues.

Li stressed China’s firm stance on European integration process and welcomes a prosperous and stable Europe.  Li said China attached great importance on the EU fulfilling its international commitments. He also said China and the EU should expand practical cooperation, to launch jointly feasibility study on China-EU free trade agreement, to properly handle differences, while maintaining a good China-EU relation and together injecting new dynamism into the world economy.

Mogherini said the EU will hold a constructive attitude to cooperate with China and deal with global terrorism and challenges of climate changes. She was also looking forward to the 19th EU-China Leaders' Meeting in Brussels later this year.