Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper speaks during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa June 12, 2014. REUTERS

Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper expressed satisfaction with his visit to China and also the meetings he had with China's top leadership and the various agreements signed. According to sources close to the Prime Minister, Mr. Harper raised a litany of issues with the Chinese leaders in the meetings, which included meetings with the Communist country's leadership. Harper said "closer ties with China will be to the benefit of Canada," which is competing 45 years of bilateral relations, next year.

Mr Harper later told reporters he was satisfied with "how the trip went." The PM's meetings were held at the majestic Great Hall of the People, near the Tiananmen Square. The Prime Minister said that despite the good talks and deals worth 2.5 billion dollars, he hardly left the Chinese off the hook, reported The Star. "I can tell you that every single important issue ranging from consular issues, human rights, governance, rights of minorities were discussed," Harper told the media after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Detained Couple

The Prime Minister raised the issue of detained couple Kevin and Julia Garratt in China. "That case is of significant concern to us. That's why I raised it," Harper said. The Garratts had been residents in China for 30 years, but were held without charges since August. The detention came, days after Canada accused China of spying on its federal agencies, reported Cbc. ca

The prime minister's entourage also had some top cabinet ministers - John Baird, Ed Fast and James Moore. The prime minister acknowledged that the Canada-China relationship has been tense. "You may remember some controversy in the early days of this government, when we said we conduct relationships with China or any other country on the basis of three elements," he said. "They are not just economic interests, but a mix of fundamental human values, Canadian values and our security interests ... We insist that all of those things be on the table in this and any other relationship."

Currency Deal

This was Harper's third visit to China and it was heavy on trade and economics. Among the lucrative commercial agreements signed, the most anticipated reciprocal currency deal was the most significant. The deal is expected to foster easy trade between the Canadian dollar and the Chinese currency. With this deal, Canada became the first country in the Americas to have a deal to trade in the yuan.