China recovery not yet on solid footing – Xi

China's economic recovery is not yet on a solid footing so the country will carry on with its fiscal stimulus for now, Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping said on Friday.

Speaking at an economic seminar during a visit to Belgium, Xi forecast that a return to growth across the world would be slow and gradual.

"We have yet to put economic recovery on a stable and solid basis," Xi said of China. "We will continue to implement proactive fiscal policy."

"The overall economic situation in China is stabilising and improving," he added.

Xi said signs of a recovery had appeared in the global economy, but any return to growth would be "long and tortuous".

He also said China and the 27-country European Union should improve their dialogue on macroeconomic and financial issues while working to oppose protectionism in trade.

"We should … strengthen dialogue on macroeconomic and financial issues," Xi said.

The EU countries that use the euro and the United States are keen on China letting its currency, the yuan, appreciate.

"We should follow on the outcomes of the three G20 financial summits — economic financial coordination, push for reform of the international financial system, coordination on international financial supervision," Xi said.