Chinese President Hu Jintao met with Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin in Santiago on November 20, 2004.

Hu Jintao said that there are good foundation and favorable conditions for China-Canada relations. The two countries do not have any historical disputes. They are very complementary to each other in areas such as economy and trade. They have same or similar ideas on many international and regional issues. There is huge potential for their cooperation.

Hu Jintao made four proposals to Martin on promoting the comprehensive development of China-Canada relations: first, to continue strengthening the high-level exchanges and exchanges at other levels between the two countries, keep promoting mutual understanding and trust, and provide good political guarantee for the development of bilateral relations; second, to make full use of each other's complementary advantages, and make efforts to expand and deepen friendly cooperation in all fields; third, to strengthen consultations and coordination in major international and regional issues and jointly maintain the stability and prosperity in Asia and the Pacific; fourth, to proceed from the overall situation of bilateral relations, hold a correct view on and handle appropriately their different ideas on some issues, rather than having the differences interfering in the normal development of bilateral relations.

Martin said that he has visited China many times since his first visit in 1972 and he is very glad to see China's great development and progress. The rapid economic development in China earns China an increasingly important position in the world economy. He said that Canada totally endorses China's proposals on promoting bilateral relations. Canada will strengthen high-level exchanges of visit and people exchanges at different levels and expand cooperation between the two countries in areas such as economy and trade, investment, energy, financial service, education and tourism.

Martin reaffirmed Canada's adherence to the one-China policy. He said that the Canadian government will be faithful to this position without any change. Hu Jintao appreciated this.

As requested, Hu Jintao introduced to Martin the economic performance of China this year and the future tendency, saying that the Chinese government attaches importance to building a scientific concept of people-oriented, comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development, which is people-oriented and promote the Chinese economy to develop in a sustained, rapid, balanced and healthy manner.