Newly appointed Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed bilateral ties and cooperation with his German counterpart, Guido Westerwelle, by phone late Wednesday.

Wang said China and Germany, as two influential powers and strategic partners, should strengthen cooperation in the current complicated and changing international context.

The new Chinese leadership, as always, attaches great importance to China-Germany relations, he said.

Wang called on the two sides to continue to maintain close high-level exchanges and such mechanisms as inter-governmental consultation and strategic dialogue, enhance mutual understanding, deepen cooperation, and strengthen communication and coordination on important international and regional issues.

Westerwelle said Germany and China had witnessed in-depth development of their relations with growing maturity, adding the relationship had far exceeded the scope of ordinary bilateral ties with great strategic significance.

Germany was ready to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with China, he said.

Westerwelle said he looked forward to setting up a close working relationship with Wang, to fully prepare for a new round of Germany-China strategic dialogue.