Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao met Canadian Governor-General Michaelle Jean in Ottawa on Thursday, saying China is ready to work with Canada to strengthen cooperation, enhance mutual trust and advance their strategic partnership.

The Chinese president said that China and Canada share a lot of common interests and a broad prospect of cooperation, and that China has always valued ties with Canada and regarded Canada as an important partner for cooperation.

The China-Canada relations are facing important opportunities for development, he said.

China is ready to work with Canada to maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges and continue to enhance political mutual trust, Hu said.

China will work with Canada to give full play to the complementarity of the two countries, and expand cooperation in a wide range of areas, including economy, trade, energy, natural resources, science, technology, education, culture and health, he said.

The two countries should strengthen coordination and cooperation on major regional and international issues so as to further advance the China-Canada strategic partnership, he added.

Hu expressed the belief that with the joint effort of both sides, the China-Canada relations will have an even better future.

He said despite the distance between the two countries, China and Canada share a long history of friendly exchanges.

Over the four decades since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two countries have maintained frequent contacts at all levels and achieved fruitful results in cooperation in various fields, he added.

The volume of two-way trade has increased nearly 200 times over the years, and China has become Canada's second largest trading partner, he said.

The two countries have conducted close coordination in addressing the international financial crisis and climate change and carried out sound cooperation on the issues of UN reforms, fighting terrorism, and public health, he said.

Hu said the development of the China-Canada relations has brought tangible benefits to the two peoples and has been conducive to peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and the larger world.

Governor-General Jean said Hu's visit and her upcoming visit to China show the extent of the enduring friendship between Canada and China.

Hu's Canadian tour is even more special as this year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, she said.

Noting that Canada was among the first group of Western countries that have established diplomatic ties with China, she said Canada regards China as a friend and important partner.

Canada is proud to see the great development of bilateral relations over the past 40 years, Jean said.

Jean said the two countries have had close cooperation and exchanges in the areas of trade, investment, environmental protection, healthcare, culture and multilateral frameworks.

In 2009, two-way trade stood at 29.7 billion U.S. dollars. And in the first four months of this year, bilateral trade reached 10.2 billion dollars, a 19 percent increase over the corresponding period of last year.

Jean expressed admiration for China's success in addressing the impact of the international financial crisis and maintaining rapid economic growth.

The Canadian governor-general is going to visit China from June 30 to July 5. She will first visit Shanghai, where the World Expo 2010 will celebrate Canada Day on July 1, and then travel to other Chinese cities.

It will be the first time for the governor-general and her family to visit China. She said she is delighted to discover the ancient culture of China and meet the friendly people there.

Canada is delighted to take part in the Shanghai Expo as the two countries celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations, Jean said.

Prior to their meeting, the Chinese leader, who flew into the Canadian capital on Wednesday for a state visit, attended a welcoming ceremony held in his honor by the governor-general.

Following his visit, Hu will attend a G20 summit in Toronto, which is aimed at securing the world economic recovery and addressing the economic challenges and risks.