MONTREAL, Oct 14 (Reuter) - Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, on the final day of a visit by Chinese Premier Li Peng, focused on trade with China on Saturday despite concerns about human rights violations.

Chretien told an appreciative group of Canadian business leaders eager to trade with China that the way to change the country was not to isolate it.

"If they were to be completely isolated, there would probably be more problems in that country," he said, speaking as part of a "Team Canada" panel that included nine of Canada's 10 provincial premiers.

"The question of the rule of law in China and the human rights problem is something we always mention under the item of good governance," Chretien said.

But he added that the country was China's and "we have to respect their own governance."

Outside the building, nearly 100 Quebec students chanted "Li Peng assassin, his accomplice Jean Chretien," to make the point that trade cooperation while maintaining relative silence on human rights matters amounted to complicity.

Hundreds of demonstrators picketed the building on Friday night, protesting human rights abuses and nuclear tests, demanding freedom for Tibet and decrying the bloody 1989 crackdown on protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

According to Chretien's office, a Team Canada visit he led to China last November netted $8.6 billion Canadian ($6.4 billion U.S.) in deals. Many of the deals were preliminary and still have not been finalised.

Chretien said some $850 million (more than $600 million U.S.) in agreements had been signed since then, and this could rise soon to $1 billion ($750 million U.S.) as the result of this visit.

Building on the business success of the Team Canada approach, Chretien said he planned to lead another such mission in January to India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore.

"By the end of January, we would have touched base with governments representing half the population of the world," he said.

In his appearance on Friday night, Li showed no signs of being ruffled by protests.

"The facts have shown that, although Canada and China differ in their respective social systems, historical backgrounds, cultural traditions and values, this has not and will not hinder fruitful cooperation between the two countries," he said.