Chinese President Hu Jintao on Wednesday called for joint efforts with Canada to push bilateral ties forward in a healthy and stable manner.
Hu made the remarks at a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on the sidelines of the Outreach Session of the Group of Eight (G8) summit being held here.
China's relations with Canada have developed smoothly overall since the two nations established diplomatic ties in 1970, and bilateral exchanges and cooperation have yielded remarkable achievements, said Hu.
Differences over some issues are inevitable, as the economic development level, social system and culture between the two countries vary, the Chinese president said.
However, the two sides should properly handle any sensitive issue or a dispute in accordance with the principle of respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefits, he added.
The two countries should make maximum use of their potential for cooperation and take care of their respective concerns, so as to ensure a healthy and stable growth of bilateral relations.
China and Canada should bring into full play their complementary advantages in trade and economy, as well as the enthusiasm from the business circles, in order to expand their economic cooperation and bring tangible benefits for the two peoples, Hu said.
The Chinese president also expressed his gratitude to the Canadian government and people for their condolences and generous assistance for the victims of the devastating earthquake that struck China's southwestern Sichuan province in May.
Harper said Canada, which highly values the development of Sino-Canadian ties, is ready to open comprehensive dialogues with China on the basis of mutual respect.
He expressed hope that the two countries would strengthen cooperation in such fields as environmental protection, investment, science and technology, health and tourism.
President Hu arrived Monday in Sapporo, capital of Japan's Hokkaido, for the Outreach Session of the G8 summit, which discussed pressing global issues such as the world economy, climate change and energy security.
The G8 groups Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States.
Source: Xinhua
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