BEIJING, July 6 (Xinhua) -- China and Canada witnessed an unprecedented flurry of diplomatic visits over the last two weeks, reflecting their growing partnership, a Chinese leader said here Tuesday.

"Such a spate of visits, which is unprecedented in the four-decade-old diplomatic relationship, indicates the growing friendship," said Zhou Yongkang, a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, when meeting with Michael Ignatieff, leader of the Canadian Liberal Party.

Dubbing this June and July "a season of harvest for bilateral ties," Zhou recalled the important exchange programs over the past two weeks.

Chinese President Hu Jintao paid his maiden state visit to Canada in late June, the first such visit by a Chinese head of state for five years.

During Hu's visit, the two countries reaffirmed their commitment to develop their strategic partnership and pledged to increase bilateral trade to 60 billion U.S. dollars by 2015.

Governments and businesses from the two countries signed ten cooperative deals covering trade and economy, tourism, energy, minerals, among others.

On the heels of Hu's visit, Canadian Governor-General Michaelle Jean came to China for a week-long visit. Apart from Beijing and western China, she also travelled to Shanghai for the events marking Canada Day at the World Expo.

China is also the first foreign country Ignatieff visited since he became leader of the Liberal Party in May 2009.

"I am here to build on the longstanding tradition of sustained,responsible engagement with China, established by my Liberal predecessors,former Prime Ministers Pierre Trudeau, Jean Chretien and Paul Martin," Ignatieff said.

Echoing Ignatieff's views, Zhou said he appreciated the role the Liberal Party has played in fostering China-Canada ties.

"We will never forget China and Canada forged diplomatic ties forty years ago when the Liberal Party was the ruling party in Canada," said Zhou.

Zhou also thanked Ignatieff for picking China as his first foreign destination.

China is the world's largest developing country while Canada is the largest developed country in terms of territory.

"Despite different national conditions, the two countries don't have fundamental conflicts of interests," Zhou said.

He emphasized China's commitment to working with both the ruling and opposition parties of Canada to further advance the strategic partnership of the two countries.

Ignatieff said that his China visit made him more confident about building ties with China, and he paid homage to the CPC's efforts to lift 1.3 billion people out of poverty.

Apart from frequent leaders' visits, ordinary Chinese and Canadians will find it easier to travel to the other country.

In June, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on facilitating Chinese group visits to Canada.

China invited 100 local Canadian educational officers and headmasters of primary and middle schools to visit China this year, and 100 Canadian middle school students will attend a summer camp in China next year.