BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday urged China and France to be reliable forces for maintaining international order, open forces for promoting global growth and progressive forces for guiding multilateral cooperation.

Speaking to French President Emmanuel Macron over phone, Xi called on China and France to jointly safeguard the UN authority and status, defend international trade rules and world economic order, and practice true multilateralism.

Xi noted that during his visit to France in May last year, the two sides agreed to carry forward the spirit of China-France diplomatic ties -- characterized by independence, mutual understanding, strategic vision and win-win cooperation -- and to enrich it with new meaning in the context of our times. Since then, China-France cooperation has made much new progress, he said.

The two sides should enhance strategic communication and build greater consensus, Xi said, calling for efforts to seize opportunities to deepen cooperation in traditional areas such as investment, aerospace and nuclear energy, while expanding cooperation in emerging sectors including digital economy, green development, biomedicine and the silver economy.

He also stressed the need to enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges and promote friendship between the two peoples.

Xi emphasized that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations. As permanent members of the UN Security Council and independent major countries, Xi said, both China and France were founders and builders of the post-war international order, while urging the two countries to strengthen solidarity and cooperation.

The more complex the international situation becomes, he added, the more China and France need to make the right strategic choice.

The Chinese president said that China has always viewed Europe as an independent pole in a multipolar world, and supported the European Union (EU) in enhancing its strategic autonomy and playing a more important role in international affairs.

China is ready to work with the EU to tackle global challenges and deliver more outcomes that benefit both sides and the world at large, he added.