On June 23, 2010, Chinese President Hu Jintao flew into Ottawa, capital of Canada, for a state visit, and later he will travel to Toronto for the 4th summit of the Group of Twenty (G20).
At about 18:00 local time, Hu's special plane arrived at the Ottawa International Airport, where he was warmly greeted by Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon.
In a statement released upon his arrival at the airport, Hu said that China and Canada are both important countries along the Pacific Coast and the two peoples enjoy a long history of friendship. Bilateral exchanges and cooperation have made positive progress in such fields as economy, trade, energy, science, technology, education, culture, health, environmental protection, justice and law enforcement since the establishment of diplomatic ties 40 years ago and the two countries have maintained close communication and coordination in major international and regional issues. The development of China-Canada relations has delivered real benefits to the people of the two countries and greatly contributed to regional and global peace, stability and prosperity.
Under the current international situation, Hu said, China and Canada share broad common interests and vast potential for cooperation in many areas, ranging from promoting economic growth in both countries and the world to resolving regional hotspot issues and meeting various global challenges. "China always values China-Canada relations," Hu stressed, adding that he looked forward to having extensive meetings and in-depth discussions with Canadian leaders and people from all sectors of Canadian society to explore effective ways to advance China-Canada strategic cooperation. China is ready to work with Canada to take the opportunity of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties, further expand exchanges and cooperation in various fields, push forward the China-Canada strategic partnership and bring even more benefits to the people of the two countries and around the world.
Hu's entourage including Wang Qishan, Ling Jihua, Wang Huning and Dai Bingguo arrived by the same plane.
Chinese Ambassador to Canada Lan Lijun also greeted Hu at the airport.