On the morning of March 31, Ambassador Lu Shumin paid a courtesy call on former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, during which they held friendly talks.

Mr. Lu first conveyed to Chretien the cordial greetings and good wishes of President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, for which Chretien expressed his thanks. In return, he asked Lu to convey his best wishes to the above Chinese leaders. Mr. Lu thanked Chretien for his contributions to the Sino-Canadian relations during his tenure, expressing the hope that Chretien will continue to support and care for the development of Sino-Canadian relations. Having paid as many as 6 visits to China, Mr. Chretien said he cherishes cordial sentiments towards China and is very glad to see that Canada-China relations have made great strides during his term in office, adding that he will continue to make his due contributions to the further development of bilateral relations.