China and Germany, as influential major countries, should work together amid global changes and instabilities and make more contributions to global peace and development, President Xi Jinping said on Friday.

In a meeting with visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Beijing, Xi said he believe Scholz's visit will enhance mutual understanding and trust, deepen pragmatic cooperation on various fronts and plan the next stage of bilateral relations.

The 50 years of bilateral relations have indicated that the general direction for this relationship will not go off the course, and the ties will enjoy stability, as long as both sides adhere to principles of mutual respect, seeking common ground while setting aside differences, and promoting mutual learning and win-win cooperation, Xi said.

Scholz is on a visit to China at the invitation of Premier Li Keqiang. It will be his first trip to China since taking office in December.

He is also the first European leader to visit Beijing after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.