Mr. Chen Deming, Minister of Commerce held talks with Mr. Fast, Canadian Minister of International Trade accompanying Prime Minister Harper on the visit to China，in the morning of February 8. The two sides exchanged views on stepping up China-Canadian economic and trade cooperation. Minister Chen said that Sino-Canadian economic and trade cooperation has been smoothly in recent years, and the visits exchanged by heads of the two countries have further deepened and broadened mutual beneficial cooperation. During Prime Minister Harper’s visit to China this time, the two sides will announce the completion of substantive negotiations on China-Canada investment protection agreement and sign statement of intent, which will have a positive and far-reaching significance in promoting two-way investment, strengthening practical cooperation and pushing forward China-Canada strategic partnership. As for the joint study on economic complementarity, Minister Chen said that China has confidence to complete it in May of this year and will take this opportunity to seek better ways for deepening China-Canada economic and trade cooperation. China will work with Canada and continue to promote the sustained and steady development of bilateral economic and trade relations. Mr. Fast said that the Canadian side has always attached importance to developing economic and trade relations with China, and he believed that Prime Minister’s visit to China would inject new vitality to the economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. The conclusion of the negotiations on investment protection agreement could encourage business . Canadian side fully affirmed the positive progress made by the joint study on economic complementarity, and hoped to take this opportunity to further deepen bilateral pragmatic cooperation in trade and investment. Investment agreement negotiations started in 1994, and it has been lasted for 18 years. China and Canada has conducted 22 rounds of negotiations and several teleconferences, and it came to a successful conclusion on February 3, 2012. The agreement include a total of 35 articles and six attachments containing all the important contents of international investment agreements, such as definition of investment,standards of treatment, most favored nation treatment, national treatment, expropriation, transfer, subrogation, taxation, dispute settlement, and exceptions. Next, the two sides will go through legal procedures and accelerate their own internal approval, and strive for an early signing of investment agreements.