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Harper to visit China next month
Business leaders and political observers say the China trip is important for future trade deals, demonstrates a warming in Sino-Canadian relations and could allow Harper to meet with the new, incoming Chinese leadership. The prime minister is slated to meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao during his visit, which initially was being planned for last fall. "Our government is committed to moving our relationship with China forward by focusing on deepening economic ties, including opening new markets, and setting the foundation for long-term growth," Harper said in a statement. Ambassador Zhang noted it will be Harper's second trip to China, and another signal that bilateral relations are improving. China is Canada's second-largest trading partner, behind only the United States, and a key customer for Canadian natural resources and agricultural products. State-owned Chinese oil and gas companies already have invested billions of dollars in Alberta's oilsands to help feed the country's insatiable energy appetite. The Harper government is looking to increase petroleum exports to China, but those hopes are very much pinned on the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline project currently under review by the National Energy Board. Public hearings began this week on the pipeline, which would ship oilsands bitumen from northern Alberta to a marine facility in Kitimat, B.C., where oil would be loaded onto tankers for export to Asia. On the whole, bilateral trade with China has tripled since 2001, totalling nearly $58 billion in 2010. Canada also has been negotiating a foreign investment and protection agreement with China, which the government expects will increase two-way trade. Posted by: Steve White 2012-01-16 |
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