VANCOUVER, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) – China and British Columbia should take the opportunity to strengthen ties and continue to improve cultural and trade relations while further promoting the strategic partnership between China and Canada, visiting Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan said here Thursday.

At his meeting with Christy Clark, Premier of Canada’s British Columbia, Wang said Sino-Canadian relationship has been going very well in recent years with the bilateral mutual political trust deepened, trade relations improved and cultural exchanges active, which have benefited people of the both countries.

China always attaches importance to the exchanges and cooperation in all sectors between provinces and cities in China and Canada as local cooperation lays important foundation for the relationship between the two countries, Wang said. As fruitful achievements have been made in China-B.C. cooperation in the sectors including trade, investment, science and technology, culture, education and tourism, Wang said the two sides should take the opportunity to further promote the exchanges and cooperation in the fields of agriculture, forest, fishing, energy, mining, investment, infrastructural construction so as to further promote the strategic partnership between China and Canada.

Christy Clark described her meeting with Wang as an excellent opportunity to build on some of the successes resulting from her trade mission to China and explore further opportunities for co- operation between the two governments.

“B.C. values its strong relationships with China and we want to maximize B.C.’s potential as a destination for Chinese investment and as a North American hub for trans-Pacific trade, business and cultural exchange,” said Clark.