Vice-Premier Li Keqiang (L) shakes hands with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen during a meeting in Beijing on Thursday.  [Photo/Xinhua]

President and vice-premier target stronger Canada economic relations

BEIJING - China is willing to increase imports from Canada and to boost cooperation in energy and other areas, Chinese leaders said on Thursday.

During a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, President Hu Jintao said cooperation should be strengthened across a range of sectors.

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"The countries should enhance political dialogue to expand common ground," Hu said.

To boost trade links, Hu suggested that the potential of both economies to interact be realized and cooperation expanded.

Vice-Premier Li Keqiang called for the countries to "promote energy trade".

"Canada is a nation that has bountiful energy resources, and China is a stable and reliable consumption market", he said in a keynote speech at a Beijing business forum.

And the two nations should also enhance energy cooperation, including renewable and nuclear, and promote joint oil and mining projects, he said.

"We should ensure a stable partnership in the field of energy resources," Li said.

Harper is leading a delegation of more than 40 business executives during his visit as he endeavors to sell more oil to China, attract Chinese investment in Canada and win more access to China for Canadian companies.

Harper's visit comes as Canada plans to diversify exports of crude oil to Asia, including China, and aims to speed up the regulatory-approval process for large energy projects. This comes on the heels of US President Barack Obama rejecting TransCanada Corp's $7 billion pipeline to the US Gulf Coast.

Vice-Premier Li Keqiang (R) and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper attend an economic forum that brings together Chinese and Canadian business leaders in Beijing on Thursday. [Wu Zhiyi / China Daily]