Chinese vice president meets former Canadian PM

BEIJING — Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien in Beijing on Wednesday.

“You are an old, good friend of the Chinese people. The ten years you served as prime minister was the ‘golden decade’ of bilateral relations and you have continued to contribute to China-Canada friendship after leaving office,” Han said.

It has been more than half a century since China and Canada established diplomatic ties. A sound and stable China-Canada relationship not only serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples, but also contributes to world peace and development, Han said.

As major countries with influence, China and Canada need to strengthen coordination and cooperation to address climate change and other global challenges, Han added.

Noting that reform and opening up is a basic state policy of China, Han welcomed more Canadian companies to invest in China and share development opportunities.

Chretien said Canada and China are natural partners with strong economic complementarity and huge potential for cooperation. He expressed willingness to further contribute to practical cooperation and friendly exchanges between the two countries and promote the long-term development of Canada-China relations.