President Xi Jinping, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel attend a joint press conference in Berlin, Germany, March 28, 2014. [Photo/Xinhua]

BERLIN - Visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Angela Merkel decided Friday to lift bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

In talks with Merkel in the afternoon, Xi said the coming years will be a crucial period for both China's and Germany's reform and development, and for the two countries to grow and achieve progress together.

China and Germany are not only economic partners but also political partners and strategic cooperation partners, Xi said, adding that it is a step of great significance that the two sides establish a comprehensive strategic partnership and start mapping out medium- to long-term action plans for developing bilateral ties.

China, he said, is willing to work with Germany to plan and design bilateral cooperation in various fields and build a bright future for China-Germany ties.