(Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Friday in Beijing.
Xi recalled that their meeting last October in Gyeongju, Republic of Korea, ushered in a new phase of positive development in China-Canada relations, and the two sides held in-depth discussions on restoring and resuming cooperation in various fields, resulting in positive results.
The healthy and stable development of China-Canada relations is in the common interests of the two countries and also contributes to world peace, stability, development and prosperity, he added.
Xi called on China and Canada to advance the construction of a new strategic partnership with a sense of responsibility towards history, people and the world.
The two sides should promote China-Canada relations towards healthy, stable and sustainable development so as to better serve the interests of the people of the two countries, he said.
Xi put forward four proposals regarding China-Canada relations. First, the two countries must be respectful partners of each other. Over the past 55 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, bilateral relations have experienced ups and downs, providing valuable historical experience and practical lessons.
He affirmed that despite different national conditions, the two countries should respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, respect each other’s political systems and development paths, and adhere to the right way of getting along.
Second, China and Canada must be partners in common development. The essence of economic and trade relations between the two countries lies in mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation, from which both sides benefit. China’s high-quality development and high-level opening-up will continue to bring new opportunities and expand the scope of China-Canada cooperation.
Xi called on the two sides to step up efforts to promote cooperation and reduce the negative list, thereby strengthening ties of common interests through deeper and broader cooperation.
Third, the two countries must be mutually trusting partners. Stressing that people-to-people connectivity is the most fundamental, strongest and longest-lasting form of interconnection, Xi urged the two sides to encourage exchanges and cooperation in education, culture, tourism, sports and subnational levels, facilitate people-to-people exchanges and consolidate the basis of people’s will.
Fourth, China and Canada must be partners in collaboration. A divided world cannot address the common challenges facing humanity. The solution lies in maintaining and practicing true multilateralism and promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for humanity.
China is ready to strengthen communication and coordination with Canada within the framework of the United Nations, the G20 and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation to jointly address global challenges, Xi added.
