OTTAWA, Sept. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in the Canadian capital of Ottawa Thursday for a state visit aimed at promoting the all-round partnership of cooperation between China and Canada.

    In a written statement delivered at the airport upon his arrival, the Chinese president said he is delighted to pay a state visit to the beautiful and richly-endowed country of Canada at the invitation of Governor General Clarkson.

Chinese President Hu Jintao (C, front) arrives in the Canadian capital of Ottawa Sept. 8. (Xinhua)

    Hu said he is looking forward to having in-depth exchanges of views with the Canadian leaders on ways to deepen their mutually beneficial cooperation in all areas, getting acquainted with friends from all walks of life in Canada, and jointly opening up a bright future for China-Canada ties.

    Friendly exchanges between the two peoples date back centuries,and since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries in 1970, especially since the launching of the partnership of all-round cooperation, the two sides have strengthened political trust gradually and achieved gratifying results in their cooperation in the economy, trade, science, technology, culture, education and other areas, he said.

    "Deepening and enriching the China-Canada all-round partnership serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples and contributes to prosperity and development in the region and the world at large," said Hu.

    This is the first visit to Canada by a Chinese head of state in eight years.

    Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said last month that the visit would "deepen bilateral cooperation in various fields and upgrade the all-round partnership of cooperation to a new level."

    China and Canada have seen rapid progress in the development of bilateral ties since the two countries established diplomatic relations 35 years ago, especially after the all-round partnership of cooperation was formed in 1997.

    The two countries have maintained frequent high-level contacts and achieved significant results in their cooperation in the fields of the economy, science and technology, energy resources, agriculture, the environment and health.

    Bilateral trade volume reached 15.5 billion US dollars last year, a 55 percent increase over the previous year. In the first half of 2005, the figure was recorded at 9 billion dollars.

    The two countries have also kept close consultation and cooperation in international affairs.

    The Chinese president will also pay a state visit to Mexico and attend the UN summit scheduled for Sept. 14-16 in New York. Enditem