A renowned Sino-Canada relationship expert said China could benefit from close collaboration with developed countries such as Canada, Australia and South Africa.

Grouping the countries into a China’s "the third choice" category, Qian Hao, an expert on the Sino-Canada relationship studies and director of the Center for Canadian Studies at Shanghai International Studies University (SISU), elaborated her thoughts in an interview with China Daily.

"China’s foreign policy and international studies usually pay much more attention on the relationship with the super powers, the US, the European Union and Russia, and the emerging countries such as Brazil, India and the fast-growing Africa," she said.

"Compared to the super powers, Canada has limited influence due to its population, military and economic size, however, as a mature developed country, Canada has been playing its special role in global affairs," Qian said.

"For example it is important for China to find out why and how Canada could avoid the worst impact of the financial crisis between 2007-2010, which burst from its neighboring country, the US," said Qian.

"When China is going overseas for more participation in global cooperation, there are conflicts in interest with the super powers, then such developed countries like Canada could play a ‘buffer zone'role to smooth China’s steps," she said.

Qian added that Canada has a mature financial system and very innovative in research and development for Chinese industries to study especially when China is currently undergoing its economic transformation.

She noted that Canada played a constructive role in establishing the G-20 Summit, bringing the emerging countries including China to promote discussion with developed countries and maintain the global financial stability. China will host G-20 Summit in 2016.

China and Canada have reached collaborations on global issues including the Arctic affairs, environmental protection and legal cooperation, however, they are still below their potential.

"Besides the energy and tourism industries, China and Canada still have much to do in enhancing their complimentary relationship," Qian said.

Qian said China could break some deadlocks and push forward China’s participation into global issues through working with the so-called ‘the third choice'partners.

China and Australia reached free trade agreements last year. In Canada, the voices to push the Canadian government to follow Australia’s step are frequent and loud.

On Monday the first renminbi (RMB) clearing bank in Canada, ICBC Canada, was officially launched, which is the first RMB trading hub in North America and in the western hemisphere.

Canada was one of the earliest western countries to recognize the People’s Republic of China. In 1968, the government of Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau initiated negotiations with China that lead to the establishment of diplomatic relations on October 13, 1970.

China has become Canada’s second largest trading partner after the US. There are 1.5 million Chinese immigrants in Canada. The two countries have granted each other 10-year visas.

During the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s visit to China last year, the two countries announced that 2015 and 2016 would be Years of People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges between Canada and China.

Qian started her academic career in SISU on researching American history and culture. In 2003, she received Fullbright Scholarship and visited New York University for a research on American history and civilization.

In 2004 she was selected into the China-Canada Scholars Exchange Program (CCSEP) to study Canadian external policies in the University of Toronto.

Qian changed her research orientation to Sino-Canada relationship and was nominated as the director of the Center for Canadian Studies in SISU.

In recent years, Qian actively joined the collaboration between China and Canada on the Arctic issues to promote communication between Chinese and Canadian Arctic scientists and experts.

In October 2013, she was awarded the Canadian Governor’s General’s Medallion.