Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced on Friday that Chinese President Hu Jintao will pay a state visit to Canada on June 23-25, which is expected to build on the successful visit by Harper to China in December 2009.

"Canada and China are laying the groundwork for a new decade of growth by deepening cooperation in a wide number of areas," said Harper. "It is a fitting tribute to 40 years of diplomatic relations based on mutual respect and collaboration."

During their meeting, Harper and Hu will discuss bilateral, regional and global issues of shared interest, including opportunities to expand bilateral cooperation, the Prime Minister' s Office said.

China continues to be Canada's second-largest trading partner by country, with bilateral merchandise trade between the two countries reaching 50.9 billion Canadian dollars (about 49.84 billion U.S. dollars) in 2009. There are over 1.3 million Canadian residents of Chinese origin and over 42,000 Chinese students studying at Canadian educational institutions, Dimitri Soudas, spokesman for the prime minister, said at a press conference on Friday.