China's president Xi Jinping has warned against the politicizing or weaponizing the world economy after EU leaders urged him to help tighten a blockade of Vladimir Putin's Russia.

In the first summit between China and the EU in two years, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she had called on Xi to help enforce sanctions imposed by Europe, the U.S. and some other nations.

"We made it very clear that China should, if not support the sanctions, at least do everything not to interfere in any kind," von der Leyen told a press conference. 

China released a summary of the call which stated that Xi had told EU leaders that their strategy risked undermining progress in the global economy and hurting ordinary people around the world.

World powers "must not let the global economic system be disrupted at will, still less allow attempts to politicize or weaponize the world economy ​as a tool to serve ones own agenda," Xi said. "Many are worried that the current situation may wipe out the fruits of international economic cooperation gained through decades of efforts."

Instead, he said the route to resolving the situation in Ukraine would be through peace talks. He also called for efforts to resolve the humanitarian crisis and address the security challenges facing Europe that had sparked the crisis.

Beijing has repeated expressed its desire for an end to fighting, saying it recognizes Ukraine's sovereignty but also understands the concerns that caused Moscow to send troops over the border. It abstained from a UN Security Council motion calling for Russia to withdraw. 

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Amid tensions between Beijing and Washington, Xi said a strong EU China relationship would act as a stabilizing force in a turbulent world. He urged European leaders to take an independent view of their foreign policy.

Von der Leyen, who attended the talks together with EU Council president Charles Michel, described the EU's relationship with China as "manifold", noting that there were constructive areas, competitive areas and areas of "clear rivalry".

Other topics discussed during the call were the pandemic, climate change, trade relations. Both sides called on the other to improve market access and agreed on their support for a multi-lateral, rules based system to govern international relations.