A visit to promote understanding and co-op--Canadian Governor General on China trip

Canadian Governor General David Johnston says that Canada and China have a wonderful foundation and potential to further develop strategic partnership relations. His Excellency’s visit is looking forward to renewing old friendships and strengthening the state-to-state relationship. He makes this remark during an interview with a group of Canada-stationed Chinese journalists on the eve of His Excellency’s visit to China,

On the purpose of the visit:

His Excellency says: This would be the first time I would travel as Governor General to China. In the other occasions I traveled as president of universities and that would be different. I expect to see the same warm welcome and interest in Canada, finding more common ground.

The purpose of this trip and other visits of your leaders to Canada and Canadian leaders to China is to strengthen bilateral relations both at the formal level with respect to state relations at the trade level and the business and investment level and of course at the people level where education and culture play such prominent role in both our societies. The broad objective of this trip with respect to bilateral relations involves prosperity, education, innovation, culture.

I look forward to the high level discussions that I’d have with your president and your prime minister and we are deeply honored that they have made arrangements in their very demanding schedules to see us at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. In the meetings with your leaders we will be to foster our relationship in those four broad areas.

We have seen investment from China in Canada and we expect to broaden our trade relationship. One of the events I’ll be attending in China is the Canada-China Business Council's meeting. I’ll be speaking to that gathering, and I’ll also be attending the Western China International Fair in Chengdu which will be a great highlight of my visit. These are all incidents where one by one brick by brick we build the mutual support and confidence in one another's objectives.