Trade and economic cooperation between Shanghai and Canada will continue to expand, Xu Kuangdi, mayor of the China's largest metropolis, told visiting Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien Wednesday.
Xu said bilateral trade between Shanghai and Canada soared 40 percent year-on-year to US$1.1 billion last year. Meanwhile, the two sides have enhanced exchanges and cooperation in environment protection and biochemistry, he said.
Bilateral cooperation will see even greater potential after China's accession to the World Trade Organization, Xu added.
Chretien said Canada and Shanghai are strongly complementary in trade. He expressed hope that the expansion of bilateral cooperation will bring about further exchanges between entrepreneurs from Canada and Shanghai.
Shanghai and Montreal, two big cities in China and Canada respectively, pledged to further their friendly cooperation.
Representatives from the two cities signed a memorandum in Shanghai Wednesday concerning their previous cooperation.
Since the establishment of friendly cooperative ties between the two sides in 1985, the two cities have successfully cooperated in 12 programs, involving urban planning, civil defense, natural sciences, culture and other areas.
The two sides vowed to continue to support exchange and cooperation, especially in e-commerce and multi-media sectors.
Shanghai Mayor Xu Kuangdi and his Montreal counterpart Pierre Bourque were present at the signing ceremony.
(CIIC 02/15/2001)
