China and Canada are complementary in their resources and the two countries can tap the full potential of their win-win cooperation for their good, former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien said in Beijing.
He made the remarks during an exclusive interview with China Media Group (CMG) ahead of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit to China.
Carney will pay an official visit to China from January 14 to 17, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Monday.
"I hope that the visit of the prime minister of Canada, it will be a new departure in the relation between Canada and China. And because of the turmoil created by the president of the United States, we are looking for diversifying our economy with other nations. And my judgment always said that China and Canada are complementary. You have the people, we have the land, we have the resources, and we have some people, too. So, we can help each other to grow in peace and prosperity," he said.
Regarding how to resolve differences, Chretien said dialog is always the best way out.
"I believe in dialog. If we have disagreement, we have to talk about it. But at the end, every nation is a sovereign nation. So, we have to respect that, too. It's internal decision by the people of China to decide the future of China like it is for the Canadians to decide the future of Canada," he said.
China, Canada should leverage complementarity for mutual benefit: former Canadian PM
Hong Kong's representatives at this year's "two sessions" set out to submit a number of motions and put forward proposals aimed at benefiting the special administrative region and enhancing its synergy with the country’s development.
The "two sessions" are the annual meetings of China's top legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), and the top political advisory body, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Both bodies serve a five-year term and hold a plenary session each year, generally in March.
The fourth session of the 14th NPC kicked off on Thursday, while the fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC convened on Wednesday.
Iris Wong Ping-fan, an NPC deputy from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, plans to submit a motion on the coordinated development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the new positioning of Hong Kong in the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030).
"Hong Kong will also develop its own five-year plan, which will align with the broader development goals of our country and will actively achieve synergy with issues concerning Hong Kong in the development goals of our country. Therefore, in the future, it will become increasingly clear that Hong Kong's development is deeply intertwined with that of our country, forming a community of common destiny," said Wong.
Charles Ng Wang-Wai, a CPPCC National Committee member, will highlight the crucial role of artificial intelligence in talent development in his proposal.
"We all know that artificial intelligence is an unstoppable trend. To effectively develop AI, we must focus on education, especially the training of primary and secondary school teachers. That is to say, we need to consider how to improve the skills of these teachers so they can better educate the next generation," said Ng.
Other representatives are suggesting that Hong Kong capitalize on its unique advantages to achieve win-win outcomes with the mainland.
"Hong Kong boasts a high-level international management and service system for medical technology, which provides a solid foundation for developing medical tourism. Both Hong Kong and major mainland cities are well-equipped to offer medical services to patients from Belt and Road countries," said Dennis Lam Shun-chiu, an NPC deputy.
"During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, Hong Kong will leverage its inherent advantages. Many mainland enterprises are looking to Hong Kong as a platform to better expand overseas, and with Hong Kong's excellent professional services and a strong financial platform, we hope to assist these enterprises," said Judith Yu, a CPPCC National Committee member.
Hong Kong representatives on further cooperation with mainland at two sessions
