BEIJING, Nov 4 (Reuters) – China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao has pledged to keep reducing problems and expanding cooperation with Canada in a meeting with Canadian Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu, Wang’s ministry said on Wednesday.
• They had “candid and in-depth” exchanges on economic and trade relations, cooperation in traditional and emerging fields as well as mutual economic and trade concerns at a meeting on Tuesday, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said
• Wang said China was willing to work with Canada to “shorten list of problems and lengthen list of cooperation,” according to the statement
• The two countries struck an initial trade deal in January during Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to Beijing that cut electric vehicle and canola tariffs in a reset of ties
• China-Canada trade consultations had recently made positive progress, including a further extension of relevant exemption measures under the preliminary joint arrangement, Wang said. The statement did not elaborate
• China and Canada should consolidate cooperation in traditional sectors such as energy, agricultural and aquatic products and consumer goods, and expand cooperation in emerging fields such as advanced manufacturing, clean energy and smart agriculture, Wang added
(Reporting by Shi Bu and Liz Lee; Editing by Xevi Fontdegloria)