We're also seeing more cooperation between China and Canada. That's as both nations boost Public-Private-Partnership projects and as Canada is one of the first countries in the world to apply the PPP model to social welfare. Canada is also working closely with China on low carbon construction. --He Jian caught up with Weldon Epp, Consul General of Canada in Shanghai at their pilot low carbon building in Pudong to talk about Canada's expertise in both clean technology and public-private partnerships.

Canada is working closely with China on clean technology and low carbon buildings. The Canada Dream Home in Shanghai is a best practice and pilot program for energy saving. The home features plenty of natural daylight, a constant temperature without heating or cooling and a water recycling system.

WELDON EPP, CONSUL GENERAL OF CANADA IN SHANGHAI "This building is a model of clean technology. A lot of people just look at it and see wood, but for wood to be used in a sustainable way, in 2017, a lot of technology goes into it. A lot of stuff takes close collaboration because the Chinese MOHURD, the ministry responsible for housing and urban development, as well as the Shanghai municipal equivalent of that are very much working with Canada to update the building codes, so safety codes for engineers, for architects. Unless you have that, the private sector can't do its work. So in China now there's been for over a decade really close work between Canada and China to take proven safe approaches to building tall buildings even with wood."

Chinese Environment Minister Li Ganjie and his Canadian counterpart Catherine McKenna headed the first China-Canada Environmental Ministers' Dialogue in December 2017 in Beijing. They signed deals on water and chemicals management, as well as an environmental emergency response agreement.

RYAN BAERG, CONSUL & SR. TRADE COMMISSIONER, CONSULATE GENERAL OF CANADA IN SHANGHAI "Chinese investors are investing in different areas, so clean tech being one of them. As a specific example, there's one really interesting company. They're doing a technology called the nano-photation. So they're doing large demonstration project in northern Alberta in Canada, which is the home to the Canadian oil sands. A good group of Canadian companies in the sector that are here visiting are taking part of the expo here in Shanghai. I think that we'll see increasing partnerships in that area."

Canada joined the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in 2017. That organization was first proposed by China. Canada announced its membership during Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's first official visit to China in 2016.

WELDON EPP, CONSUL GENERAL OF CANADA IN SHANGHAI "Canada has long been a partner with the Chinese government in investment on big projects like the Three Gorges Dam, our companies participated in that. One area for example we can talk more about is the area of public private partnerships. So that model, the PPP model is very mature and very established in Canada. That's one of the key ways we use domestically to finance large infrastructure, whether public transportation, but even things like hospital facilities, medical care, senior care, etc. Those firms, I think, will be looking forward to opportunities to work with partners from China or beyond, through the AIIB funded projects. It's inevitable that as China moves towards liberalizing their renminbi, opening up the financial sector, you'll see early movers like some of our banks, and insurance companies, they're already here."

Governments and private companies have also invested in public private partnership projects in areas covering transportation, environmental protection and tourism.

He Jian, ICS for CGTN, Shanghai.