BEIJING, Jan. 15 -- China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Canada in areas such as clean energy, digital technology, modern agriculture, aerospace, advanced manufacturing and finance, to foster more new drivers of economic growth, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said when holding talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Beijing on Thursday.
China welcomes more Canadian companies to invest in China and hopes that Canada will provide a fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises investing in the country, Li said.
Through the joint effort of the two sides, the China-Canada relationship has achieved a turnaround, which has been widely welcomed by people from all sectors of both countries, he said.
Noting that maintaining the healthy and stable development of China-Canada relations aligns with the common interests of both nations, Li said China is willing to work with Canada to uphold the strategic partnership, enhance political mutual trust, respect each other's core interests, continuously expand practical cooperation, and inject momentum into the development of both countries.
China and Canada enjoy strong economic complementarity, and their bilateral cooperation is driven by robust endogenous dynamism and holds vast potential, said Li, noting that China is ready to strengthen the alignment of development strategies with Canada, advance exchanges across various fields and levels, make effective use of bilateral governmental dialogues on economy, trade, science and technology, agriculture and other areas, promote stable growth in bilateral trade and enhance the level of trade facilitation.
He called on both sides to continue to support exchanges and cooperation in education, culture, tourism, sports, youth affairs, subnational engagements, and to facilitate people-to-people exchanges.
China is willing to enhance cooperation with Canada within frameworks such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the Group of 20 and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, jointly upholding multilateralism and free trade, added Li.
For his part, Carney said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the Canadian government has firmly adhered to the one-China policy.
Canada is willing to strengthen dialogue with China in various fields on the basis of mutual respect, leverage complementary advantages, and promote cooperation in areas such as economy, trade, energy, green economy, agriculture, and people-to-people exchanges, he noted.
Chinese companies are welcome to invest and conduct business in Canada, and Canadian enterprises are confident in further deepening cooperation with China, said the prime minister.
He noted that in light of the profound changes in current international situation, Canada is willing to enhance communication and collaboration with China to jointly support the United Nations in playing a central role in international affairs.
Following the talks, Li and Carney witnessed the signing of multiple cooperation documents covering trade, customs, energy, construction, culture, and public security.
Prior to the talks, Li held a welcome ceremony for Carney in the Great Hall of the People.
