German Chancellor Scholz speaks to Chinese Premier Li by phone

Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang exchanged views during a phone call on Monday "on deepening their bilateral partnership and economic relations," German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit reported.
The coronavirus pandemic, environmental issues, global warming, relations between China and the European Union and international issues were also discussed.
China's official Xinhua news agency reported that Li attributed great significance to China's relations with Germany. The two countries both supported multilateralism and free trade, he said.
Their cooperation not only benefited the two countries, but was also in the interests of China and Europe as well as of the whole world, Xinhua reported.
China hoped that Germany would continue to play a "positive role" in promoting relations between China and the EU, Li said, according to the news agency.
He also expressed the hope that Germany would treat Chinese companies with "a more open mind" without providing details.