In a telephone conversation with Scholz on Tuesday, Xi stressed that both countries should “see each other’s development as an opportunity.”

They should also “preserve the excellent tradition of senior leadership style,” state media quoted the president as saying.

The statement suggests that Xi hopes that Scholz, like Angela Merkel before him, will continue to determine Germany’s China policy – and not the new Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who has already been openly critical of China.

Both sides should “stay on course” in the development of relations, Xi said.

Cooperation between Germany and China is at the forefront of relations between Europe and China, Xi said, adding that good ties are not only in the interest of both countries, but also conducive to peace and stability in the world.

China and Germany were committed to multilateralism, Xi said. Both countries should also “reject all forms of domination politics and a Cold War mentality,” Xi said, which could be interpreted as a reference to the strongly China-critical policy of the United States.