A New Era of China-Canada Friendship

Mutual state visits by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau within one month of each other have highlighted the emphasis both sides place on their relationship. Premier Li paid an official visit to Canada from September 21 to 24， the first such trip by a Chinese premier in 13 years. Trudeau completed a successful visit to China between August 31 and September 6. SinoCanadian relations are swiftly entering a new era.

The good memory of Norman Bethune（1890-1939）， a Canadian doctor who provided medical assistance to the Communist Party of China-led army during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and later died of an infection in China， fills many Chinese people with goodwill toward Canada.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1970， the two countries have overcome differences in ideologies， social systems， cultures and traditions， to commit to the sound， rapid and stable development of bilateral ties.

After Stephen Harper took office in 2006， however， the Canadian Government proposed“new diplomacy” and put “values” above all else in terms of its China policy. A tough line toward China set the partnership backward. Since Trudeau came to power in 2015， the two countries have resumed friendly and tangible cooperation. Li and Trudeaus mutual visits and their subsequent actions show that the bilateral relationship is heading toward a better future.

During Lis trip， the two countries signed a string of cooperative agreements covering trade， investments， finance， tourism， education and judicial affairs， etc. The joint declaration by the two countries mentioned 29 major achievements， underscoring the rosy prospects for bilateral ties. Lis Canada visit and the formal launch of an annual head of government dialogue mechanism set the two nations on a prosperous path of exchange and communication in a multitude of areas. These factors will greatly drive the bilateral relationship forward.

Blessed with a solid foundation and huge potential， the two states should take advantage of the benefits brought about by the visits to maintain and strengthen the momentum of cooperation. Particularly， the consensus reached between the two leaders needs to be transformed into common aspirations and actions by the peoples of both nations. While the positive elements of bilateral cooperation should be cemented， the negative ones must be properly dealt with and contained.

Its hoped that stronger ties between the two countries will set an example for the rest of the world when it comes to cooperation with China. The China-Canada partnership can also serve as a role model for promoting economic growth through cooperation in the context of a fragile global economy.