Chinese, German FMs hold phone talks before New Year

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, held phone talks Monday ahead of the New Year. Wang said that China and Germany are important strategic partners to each other. In the coming year, the Chinese side is ready to work with Germany to map out and put into action exchanges and cooperation between the two countries so as to carry forward the already successful bilateral relations, Wang said. For his part, Steinmeier said that ties between Germany and China are very important and that the two sides have close exchanges in politics, economy and other fields. The new German government attaches great importance to advancing the ties between Germany and China and is ready to continue to deepen friendship and cooperation between the two countries, he said. The two ministers also exchanged views on Japan.