Chinese President Xi Jinping and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on March 22 pledged over phone that China and France would jointly implement their consensus on deepening ties and promote multilateralism to build an open global trade system.

Macron congratulated Xi on being elected Chinese president on March 17 at the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's national legislature.

Xi noted that Macron's congratulatory phone call shortly after the conclusion of the two sessions is an embodiment of great importance that he attaches to China's development and relations with France.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening up, and the just-concluded two sessions carry great significance to China's future, said Xi.

The coming period of time will be one during which China continues to deepen reform, expand opening up, achieve greater development, as well as make more contributions to the world, the Chinese president said, adding that he believes China's development will provide more opportunities to China-France and China-EU (European Union) cooperation.

Macron said that cherishing the friendship between France and China, he took note of the various results achieved at the two sessions of the NPC and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, China's top political advisory body.

The French president added that he is willing to join hands with Xi to implement key consensus reached by the two sides on deepening France-China relations.

(Xinhua News Agency March 22, 2018)