Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L) and his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau attend the signing ceremony of a series of bilateral cooperation documents in Ottawa, Canada, Sept. 22, 2016. [Xinhua]
A free-trade agreement may be in the cards for Canada and China, both sides confirmed on Thursday at the heels of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s four-day visit to Ottawa.
“We have reached many new consensuses in [the areas of] economics and trade,” said Li at a joint press conference with Canadian PM Justin Trudeau in Ottawa.
Li added that the two sides discussed cooperation in finance, tourism, law enforcement, and the potential for cooperation between their local governments.
Both Li and Trudeau attended the signing ceremony of a series of bilateral cooperation documents in Ottawa, Friday.
The two sides also agreed to work toward terminating a dispute over Canadian canola exports by 2020.
Talk of closer trade ties between the two countries came to the fore following Trudeau’s visit to China to attend the G20 Summit in Hangzhou.
Trudeau said the two sides have agreed to double their bilateral trade volume by 2025, and that the economic relations between the two countries have huge potential to create job opportunities on both sides.
As a result of that visit, Trudeau’s government announced the signing of 56 deals with China worth more than $1.2-billion.
Li will leave Ottawa Sunday for Havana to boost economic cooperation with long-time friend Cuba during his visit there in the latter half of September.
Li’s visit, the first official to Cuba by a Chinese premier since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1960, will also focus on the signing of a number of trade agreements regarding technology, renewable energy, industry and environmental protection.
The BRICS Post with inputs from Agencies
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