Chinese President Xi Jinping says bilateral ties with Germany will develop steadily provided that both states respect one another's differences and that they seek "common ground."

"We must view and develop bilateral relations in an all-round way from a long-term and strategic perspective," Xi told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the Chinese capital, Beijing.

The German chancellor is on a three-day visit to China — his first trip there since Berlin launched a "de-risking" strategy last year aimed at stopping Germany from being too closely linked to the world's second-largest economy.

"As long as both sides adhere to mutual respect, seek common ground while reserving differences, communicate and learn from each other, and achieve win-win co-operation, relations between the two countries will continue to develop steadily," Xi told Scholz.

Scholz on Monday said competition between China and Germany needed to be fair, warning the Chinese leadership against taking a protectionist stance in the auto industry.