China, Canada consult on Harper's attendance at APEC: Chinese FM

China and Canada are consulting on Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper's attendance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

"What we have got from diplomatic channel is that the Canadian government, especially Prime Minister Harper, attaches great importance to the APEC meeting to be held in Beijing," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters at a briefing. "He has made all preparations for the meeting and decided to pay an official visit to China before that."

The APEC Economic Leaders' meeting is expected to be held in Beijing from Nov. 10 to 11. Harper's office said earlier this week he had canceled plans to attend the meeting in the wake of attacks by homegrown radicals last week in Ottawa that killed two soldiers.

Harper's office said he would be in Ottawa for Nov. 11 Remembrance Day, which honors the country's war dead. The holiday coincides with the APEC Economic Leaders' meeting.

Wang said China saw the huge shock the Ottawa attacks brought to Canada and understood the importance of the Remembrance Day to Canada. "The two countries were discussing through diplomatic channels how to arrange the schedule so as to avoid date clash," he said.

He said Canada expressed "a strong and clear will" to attend APEC, adding that he believed both countries could find a good solution.

Wang also denied links between Harper's schedule and the case of a Canadian couple detained in China on charges of espionage.

"The case is being investigated in accordance with Chinese laws," he said.

Chinese authorities said in August that two Canadian nationals, Kevin Garratt and Julia Dawn Garratt, are under investigation for suspected theft of state secrets about China's military and national defense research.