MUNICH, Germany, June 21 (Xinhua) -- China cherishes the traditional friendship with Germany's Bavaria state, and welcomes investment from more companies in the state in a bid to promote China-Germany practical cooperation, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Tuesday.

Li made the remarks when meeting with Bavaria's Minister-President Markus Soeder during his visit to the state.

Li said that Bavaria's friendly cooperation with China, which has a long history, has achieved remarkable results, making the state a pioneer in promoting economic and trade cooperation as well as local friendship between China and Germany.

China will continue to encourage sister provinces and cities from both sides to consolidate mutual trust, expand exchanges, deepen cooperation, and achieve a higher level of mutual benefit, Li added.

For his part, Soeder said Bavaria will never forget the strong support provided by China in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bavaria opposes decoupling, supports cooperation, advocates opening up markets and technologies, and hopes to deepen economic and trade cooperation with the Chinese side, enhance local exchanges, and jointly address global challenges such as climate change, said Soeder.

Bavaria admires China's great development achievements and is willing to be a reliable partner, he added.

The Chinese premier arrived in Munich, Germany after departing Berlin on Tuesday afternoon. The Bavarian state government held a unique local welcome ceremony for Li.