Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao attend a welcoming ceremony in Beijing.<br/> <br />Harper and a large trade delegation arrived in China on Tuesday keen to ramp up bilateral trade between Canada and China.<br/> <br />Harper is particularly keen to increase exports of oil, citing the need to diversify away from the U.S., which is the world's largest importer of Canadian energy.<br/> <br />A series of bilateral trade agreements were signed on Wednesday, including a deal which should allow Ottawa to resume exports of beef and tallow to China, halted in 2003 because of mad cow disease fears.<br/> <br />The Canadian Minister of International Trade and his Chinese counterpart also signed a series of agreements on energy issues, trade, and investment.<br/> <br />Canada says it is determined to open up new markets and reduce reliance on the United States which takes about three quarters of all Canadian exports.<br/> <br />Nick Rowlands, Reuters.
