Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, accompanied by his wife Cheng Hong, arrives at Ottawa for an official visit to Canada, Sept 21, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

Besides enhancing political communication and economic ties, people-to-people exchanges are "a powerful catalyst for China-Canada friendly cooperation," the premier noted.

"Amity between the people holds the key to state-to-state relations."

Each week, 90 or so flights ply between the two countries, and the number of Chinese students studying in Canada has exceeded 150,000, the premier said.

Meanwhile, the Chinese language and culture are getting popular with Canadians, which can be shown by the fact that Chinese calligraphy and Kung Fu attract more and more Canadian fans, Li said.

"I will make use of this visit to further boost China-Canada people-to-people and cultural exchanges," Li said.

The year 2018 has been designated as the year of tourism between China and Canada, according to the article.

Comparing the symbol of fiery maple to the prosperity of China-Canada all-round cooperation, Li said: "China will work with Canada to enrich our strategic partnership and tap the potential of practical cooperation to bring more benefits to the Chinese and Canadian peoples."