China says it is willing to work with EU on 'global challenges'

BEIJING, Feb 5 (Reuters) - China is willing to work with the European Union on boosting cooperation and responding to "global challenges", its foreign ministry said on Wednesday, as the bloc faces potential U.S. tariffs on its shipments to the world's largest economy.

China attaches great importance to EU ties and hopes the bloc will also become China's reliable cooperation partner, said Lin Jian, spokesperson at the Chinese ministry, at a regular news conference.

The EU's trade chief said on Tuesday that the bloc wanted to engage swiftly with the United States over President Donald Trump's planned tariffs. The European Commission's President, Ursula von der Leyen, forecast negotiations with Washington would be tough.