Chinese President Hu Jintao wrapped up the Toronto leg of his first state visit to Canada on Saturday by lauding the country for its continued co-operation in trade and appealing to Canadians to invest in Chinese business.
But the question of China's human-rights record was never far behind the President: Hundreds of protesters appeared wherever Mr. Hu went.
"China is ready to work with Canada to continue our co-operation in better ways," Mr. Hu said, through an interpreter, at a dinner Saturday before delegates of the Canada China Business Council.
"Thanks to our efforts, China-Canada relations have evolved from small trade to large and complex relations . . .The two countries have worked fruitfully."
Mr. Hu began his one-day visit to Toronto -- home to more than 250,000 Chinese-Canadians -- on Saturday. He was whisked from the airport to the Intercontinental Toronto Centre hotel downtown for a luncheon with about 100 delegates and politicians, including Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, International Trade Minister James Peterson and Citizenship and Immigration Minister Joe Volpe
