China will continue to advance the construction of a China-Canada free trade area (FTA) and deepen trade cooperation with Canada, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Wednesday.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang made the remarks at a daily news briefing in response to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s latest comment on Canada-China trade ties.

On Monday, Trudeau told the 2018 Fortune Global Forum held in Toronto that Canada will continue to increase the trading relationship with China in thoughtful ways.

The Chinese side appreciates what the Canadian leader has said, said Lu, adding that China and Canada, both as major economies in the Asia-Pacific region, are highly complementary economically, and share tremendous potential and prospect for cooperation.

The Chinese side stands ready to work with the Canadian side, continue to advance the FTA construction in a pragmatic and open manner, and deepen the practical economic and trade cooperation to step up the China-Canadian strategic partnership, Lu said.