China's Hu forges strategic partnership on Canada visit

OTTAWA (AFP) — Chinese President Hu Jintao is to begin day three of his first official North American tour after forging a "strategic partnership" with Canada and signing a raft of trade and cooperation accords.

Although talks between Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin and Hu Friday touched on the sensitive issue of Beijing's human rights' record, the two still managed to firm up their already-strong trade partnership.

The two agreed to work together on nuclear energy, to triple passenger and cargo flights, share railway technology, improve food safety and plant and animal health and collaborate on health research.

Hu said the move would "upgrade the China-Canada relationship into a strategic partnership."

They also found consensus on issues such as climate change, UN reform, Pacific region security and how best to deal with the threat of an avian influenza pandemic, Martin said.

"We leave here today having strengthened a partnership that was already very solid. On issues ranging from the environment to trade to governance, let there be no Continue reading the remaining 70% ...