Canada ? Chinese President Hu Jintao lauded his country’s joint role with Canada in promoting global peace and development Thursday, arriving on his first state visit here with the goal of improving oil and energy ties.

Hu’s visit was aimed at celebrating 35 years of diplomatic links and rapidly expanding trade between the two nations, but also comes at a time of uneasy relations between Washington and Ottawa.

Hu spoke of the shared responsibility of Canada and China to protect the Pacific Rim.

“China and Canada shoulder important responsibilities in safeguarding world peace and promoting common development,” Hu said through an interpreter.

China is Canada’s second-largest trading partner, after the United States, and Ottawa and Beijing conducted about $30 billion worth of trade last year. With the world’s fastest growing economy and rapid urbanization, the Chinese are hungry for more oil and natural resources – and Canada has those, in abundance.