China and Canada agreed on building a strategic partnership

China and Canada agreed Ottawa Friday morning on building a strategic partnership aimed at promoting the long-term and steady development of bilateral relations. The agreement on raising China-Canada relationship from a partnership of all-round cooperation mapped out in 1997 to a strategic partnership was reached between visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin duringtheir two-hour talks. Canada expects continuous development of cooperation with Chinas as to make the two countries to become all-dimensional strategic partners, said Martin. Hu said to enhance Sino-Canadian friendly and cooperative relations constitutes an important component of the Chinese foreign policy and the development of bilateral relations boasts asound foundation and a good opportunity.

Both sides should push forward all-round cooperation in variousfields covering politics, economy, trade, science, technology, culture, education, health and environmental protection as the establishment of such a partnership conforms to the requirements of the times and aspiration of the two peoples, said Hu. After the talks, Hu and Martin witnessed the signing of a series of cooperative documents between the two sides concerning air transportation, railways, food security, quarantine, nuclear energy and health research. Hu and Martin also gave a press briefing after the signing ceremony and answered questions from the press on human rights, Tibet and Taiwan. This is the first visit to Canada by a Chinese head of state insight years. Hu is also scheduled to pay a state visit to Mexico and attend the UN summit scheduled for Sept. 14-16 in New York. Enditem, reported Xinhuanet.