Visiting President Hu Jintao met some members of the Senate and the House of Commons of Canada in Ottawa on Friday afternoon.

 

Hu briefed them on China's progress, the development of Sino-Canadian relations in the past 35 years, the achievements of his current visit, and China's position on the Taiwan question and UN reforms.

 

He expressed the hope that legislatures of the two countries will continue working for exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.

 

There is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of the country, said Hu.

 

The one-China policy has been commonly accepted by the international community including Canada, he said, adding that it is also an important basis for the smooth development of the Sino-Canadian relations.

 

He hoped that the Canadian government and parliament will stick to the one-China policy and properly handle the Taiwan question in a bid to ensure a sound and stable development of the Sino-Canadian ties.

 

The parliamentarians expressed their willingness to further increase exchanges with their Chinese counterparts to enhance mutual understanding.

 

China and Canada agreed in Ottawa Friday morning on building a strategic partnership aimed at promoting the long-term and steady development of bilateral relations.

 

The agreement on raising China-Canada relationship from a partnership of all-around cooperation forged in 1997 to a strategic partnership was reached between Hu and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin during their two-hour talks.

 

Hu and Martin also witnessed the signing of a series of cooperation documents between the two countries concerning air transportation, railways, food security, quarantine, nuclear energy and health research.

 

Hu arrived in Ottawa Thursday morning on a state visit as guest of Canadian Governor General Adrienne Clarkson.

 

This is the first visit to Canada by a Chinese head of state in eight years.

 

Hu is also scheduled to pay a state visit to Mexico and attend a UN summit to be held in New York from September 14 to 16.

 

(Xinhua News Agency September 11, 2005)