Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with visiting Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen in Beijing, and called for continued close relations between the two countries.
The healthy, stable, and sustainable development of the China-Denmark comprehensive strategic partnership was not only in the interest of the two countries, but could also help promote cooperation between China and Nordic countries, and also the EU, an official government statement quoted Xi as saying.
"China supports the process of European integration and is willing to work together with the EU to build China-EU partnership for peace, growth, reform and civilization. We are willing to strengthen communication with the Nordic countries to push for new results in China-Nordic cooperation," Xi noted.
Xi stressed that Sino-Danish relations should develop from a strategic and long-term perspective, with the aims of respecting each other's core interests and major concerns, enhancing high-level bilateral exchanges and cooperation in all areas, and maintaining close exchanges between national and local governments, legislatures and political parties.
The two sides should also carry out high-tech-driven cooperation in the areas of circular economy, energy conservation, environmental protection, food safety, agricultural technology, renewable energy and urbanization, and actively explore cooperation areas within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, said Xi.
Rasmussen meanwhile said Denmark wished to strengthen collaboration with China on medical care, food, education, tourism and other cultural fields.
Rasmussen is visiting China at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. On Wednesday, he met with Li and witnessed the signing of deals on food and drug supervision, quarantine and panda protection, among others.
Li said the two countries will expand trade and investment cooperation, and strengthen cultural communication. Rasmussen added that Denmark would welcome Chinese companies' investment and wanted to help push EU-China bilateral investment treaty negotiations.
