ANKARA

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with French and German leaders on Tuesday on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro and expressed Beijing's readiness to work with the two countries to consolidate strategic partnership and mutual cooperation.

In his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, Xi expressed readiness to work with France to deepen "strategic communication, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, and keep China-France relations growing with a steady and positive momentum," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

"The past six months have seen many new developments in the international landscape," Xi was quoted as saying.

China and France, he went on to say, are both "independent, mature, and responsible" major countries and their bilateral relationship is of "unique strategic value and global significance."

During the meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Xi said China is ready to work with Germany to consolidate the "all-round strategic partnership and create more stories of cooperation delivering mutual success."

"Global development has reached a critical crossroads. China and Germany, as the world’s second and third largest economies, are both major countries with important influence," Xi observed.

Relations between the two countries should be viewed and built with a "long-term and strategic perspective," he further said.