On February 9, 2012, President Hu Jintao met with visiting Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the Great Hall of the People.

Hu said since the establishment of diplomatic relations in the 1970s, China-Canada relations have been moving forward. In particular in the new century, the two sides decided to establish and develop China-Canada strategic partnership, pushing bilateral ties to a new stage of development. Facts proved that China-Canada friendship conforms to the fundamental interests and wishes of the two peoples and bilateral practical cooperation has great potential and broad prospects.

"The two countries should stick to the principle and spirit of the China-Canada Joint Statement and enhance dialogue in the political field in a bid to build up understanding and expand common ground," Hu said. Hu called on both sides to have a correct view of each other's development paths chosen by their people, and respect and accommodate each other's core interests and major concerns so as to safeguard the overall development of bilateral relations. To push cooperation to yield more tangible outcomes, Hu suggested full play be given to the strong complementarity of both economies while tapping cooperation potential and expanding cooperative areas. He called for cultural and people-to-people exchanges and proposed the enhancement of youth exchanges between both countries to build the bridge of China-Canada friendship. Both sides should also strengthen coordination in global and regional affairs in order to promote recovery and sustainable growth of the world economy.

Harper applauded the new progress of bilateral exchanges and cooperation in recent years, saying the progress has pushed the ties to move on a positive track. He said the two countries have seen an increasing consensus and common interests on many major issues. Canada is committed to developing a strategic partnership with China based on respect and mutual benefit and hopes to maintain high-level exchanges and political dialogue, build up mutual understanding, conduct joint research on economic complementarities and enhance cooperation in such areas as trade, energy and investment, he said. He also urged both sides to encourage cultural and people-to-people exchanges and enhance the friendship between both peoples. Canada is also ready to enhance consultation and cooperation with China on global and regional issues, to safeguard world peace and stability and to boost new progress of global economic governance.

Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Chinese Ambassador to Canada Zhang Junsai and other officials attended the meeting.