Chinese president meets Macedonian prime minister BEIJING, July 2 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping met with visiting Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski on Tuesday. Xi said China attaches great importance to bilateral relations and is willing to enhance ties on the basis of mutual respect, adding that bilateral cooperation has progressed smoothly in recent years. China is willing to boost high-level exchanges with Macedonia and improve bilateral cooperation so as to promote the development of ties, Xi said. Gruevski will attend a conference for local leaders from China and central and east European countries that will be held in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from July 2 to 4. Xi said that China is ready to promote cooperation with central and east European countries to achieve substantive results, adding that the economies of both sides are complementary. Xi called on both sides to make use of this advantage and strengthen cooperation. Gruevski said Macedonia appreciates China's support and is ready to boost bilateral cooperation in the areas of politics, economics and culture. Macedonia welcomes Chinese investment in Macedonia and is willing to act as a gateway for Chinese companies to enter Europe, Gruevski said.