China pledged to develop a stable and long-term relationship with Germany on Tuesday, one day after the surprising resignation of German President Horst Koehler.

Asked to comment on the resignation of Koehler, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said China hopes to work with Germany to develop a stable and long-term bilateral relationship.

"This is in the interests of the two nations and their people," he told a regular press conference in Beijing.

Ma said Koehler is an old friend of the Chinese people, who had made important contributions to further mutual understanding and cooperation between China and Germany.

Koehler announced his resignation Monday after a week of criticism over a radio interview which allegedly linked military deployments abroad with the country's economic interests.