FOREIGN Affairs Minister Anita Anand on Tuesday said that the granting of Approved Destination Status for group travellers to Canada by China marks another important step in the recalibrated bilateral relationship.

Anand said: “Tourism plays an important role in fostering people-to-people ties, which are a foundation for broader mutual understanding and cooperation. Canada maintains high standards for travel safety and quality, and remains a welcoming, secure destination for Chinese visitors.

“Following Prime Minister [Mark] Carney’s recent meetings with President Xi Jinping last week, Premier Li Qiang in September and my meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing in October, we are demonstrating that, through engagement, we can advance this important bilateral relationship constructively and pragmatically.”