China is a world superpower, one of the permanent UN Security Council members and an indispensable strategic partner of the EU's, Cerar said after meeting Wang in Ljubljana.

"We have different stances or standards in the EU and China, but we need to discuss it with respect and openly, but most of all we must seek common areas of cooperation, enhance constructive relations and respect each other," he said.

Cerar also stressed political and economic cooperation between Slovenia and China had been growing by the year, making China Slovenia's most important trading partner in Asia and the 13th most important one overall.

Since 2013, trade in goods had increased by around 15% a year to reach 1.3 billion euro in 2018, with several Slovenian companies opening their offices in China and China's investment increasing in Slovenia.

He also noted 2020 would be a year of enhanced dialogue between the EU and China, with two EU-China summits planned alongside a 17+1 initiative summit. Cerar thus announced Slovenia and China would further strengthen cooperation next year in view of Slovenia's EU presidency in the second half of 2021.