ANKARA

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that Beijing is ready to work with the European Union, as both parties need to be committed to dialogue and cooperation.

"In a complex and volatile world, China and the EU need to stay committed to dialogue and cooperation, uphold world peace and stability, foster common development and prosperity, and address global challenges together," Xi was quoted as saying in a series of tweets by China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman.

Xi was speaking during a trilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Beijing on Thursday.

"China is prepared to work with the EU to set the right direction and tone for China-EU ties, and revitalize mutually-beneficial cooperation in various fields, thus injecting fresh impetus into China-EU relations," Xi said.

Von der Leyen had urged the EU to rebalance its relationship with China prior to her visit.

Speaking at a joint event of the Mercator Institute for China Studies and the European Policy Centre on March 30, von der Leyen stressed that the EU needs to “rebalance” its relationship with China since it is currently “unbalanced and increasingly affected by distortions created by China’s state capitalist system.”

She said China is aiming to make itself “less dependent on the world and the world more dependent on China,” especially in cutting-edge technology.