Published by: World Tibet Network News Saturday, November 29, 1997

TORONTO, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Chinese President Jiang Zemin wrapped up his first state visit to Canada on Friday by calling for more trade with Canada, as Prime Minister Jean Chretien took a final chance to remind Jiang about human rights.

The Communist leader and Chretien spoke at a C$300 ($211)-a-plate dinner in Toronto, the highlight of a conference sponsored by the Canada China Business Council in the heart of the country's business community. Toronto was the last leg of his visit to Canada.

Jiang was greeted by 1,700 applauding leaders and guests, the largest Canadian business delegation ever to meet a foreign head of state. He outlined proposals to improve bilateral ties with a positive and pragmatic approach, step up co-operation in high technology, resource and other areas, and open more channels of cooperation.

``I hope that the business communities of both countries will work continuously to promote fresh and greater development in the economic relations and trade between our two countries,'' Jiang said. ``The Canadian business community is welcome to make investment and do business in China.''

Chretien seized the opportunity to remind Jiang about human rights, a subject Jiang ignored in his comments.

Chretien came under fire from some groups for brushing the issue off earlier this week at the Asia-Pacific Economic Forum (APEC) summit, a meeting which involved Canada, China and 16 other region leaders in Vancouver.

China's record on human rights was raised in the past few days in bilateral talks.

``Mr. President, you and I have talked about the deep and abiding respect that Canadians have for human rights,'' Chretien said. ``We believe that the free and open expression of opposing views is not a threat to any nation.''

But Chretien also reiterated Canada's policy of using trade to engage ``constructively'' with nations which have poor human rights records. About 200 demonstrators protested outside the meeting, drawing attention to China's record on human rights, including its crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators at Tiananmen Square in 1989, and its policies in the Buddhist region of Tibet. There were also calls for China to allow independence for Taiwan, considered a rebel province by China.

Jiang has been faced by protesters at every stage of his North American tour, which started in the United States last month.

``They have a terrible human rights record in Tibet and the rest of China,'' said Tibetan spokesman Rinchen Dakpa.

Some of the protesters wore Tibetan national costumes complete with fur hats and shouted ``China out - free Tibet'' and ``Made in China - we won't buy it.''

Jiang is scheduled to meet Ontario Premier Mike Harris for breakfast on Saturday before flying off to Mexico, his last North American stop. Jiang's visit came on the heels of the APEC summit, where he was only one of the leaders whose region was not infected by Asian financial problems.

APEC includes Canada, China, the United States, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.

Jiang toured Vancouver, Calgary and the nation's capital of Ottawa, receiving warm welcomes and a 21-gun salute, before reaching Toronto.

During his trip Canada announced it signed C$2.3 billion ($1.6 billion) worth of business deals with China.