Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper left for China Wednesday to start a five-day official visit and attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders'Meeting scheduled to be held in Beijing on Nov. 10-11.

Harper's trip to China, from Nov. 5-10, is "an opportunity to strengthen the longstanding ties between both countries and set the direction for the future of the Canada-China relationship," according to a press release from the Prime Minister's Office.

During his stay in China, Prime Minister Harper will focus on " increasing trade and prosperity, strengthening people-to-people ties and deepening bilateral relations to best represent Canadian values and interests," it said.

It is Harper's third visit to China since he took office in February 2006. The visit will take him to Beijing and down south to Hangzhou, a scenic city in east China's Zhejiang Province. He also visited China in December 2009 and in February 2012.

Harper's entourage included Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, International Trade Minister Ed Fast, Industry Minister James Moore, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, as well as Minister of State for Seniors Alice Wong.


The Canadian prime minister will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing to discuss areas of mutual interest, including science and technology and clean energy, while in Hangzhou, also provincial capital of Zhejiang, Harper will meet with Chinese government officials and a Canadian business delegation comprised of representatives from a broad range of sectors, discussing opportunities China presents Canadian companies to grow their businesses, according to the release.