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'Golden decade of trade'

Calling for a "new golden decade" in China-Canada relations, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Friday he wants to return to the days when his country had better relations with Canada than it did most other western countries.

Trade between the two nations should more than double over the next ten years, Li told the several hundred gathered in Montreal for a luncheon hosted by the Canada China Business Council.

With Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the audience, Li brought up the memory of the Canadian communist recognized as a hero in China, surgeon Norman Bethune, to illustrate the strong history between the two nations.

Bethune, born in Ontario in 1890, is credited with bringing modern medicine to parts of China during the 1930s war with Japan and was written about famously by Mao Zedong.

"In the most difficult time for China, Dr. Bethune gave selfless support to the Chinese people," Li said.

Li also recognized Canada's wheat sales to the country while it was recovering from a famine in the 1960s.

"Canada took the lead in breaking the trade embargo against China," he said.

The Chinese premier told the audience "let's move towards the days when Canada-China relations were much better than with many other western countries."

He later called for "a new golden decade" between Ottawa and Beijing.

Former Quebec premier Jean Charest, who was in attendance, told reporters that he's "stunned" by how quickly Canada and China are taking steps to improve relations.

Li's three-day visit to Canada comes just weeks after Trudeau made a trip to China last month.



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