International Trade Minister Stockwell Day says Canada is in the business of building relationships in China and will shy away from publicly shaming the world's most important emerging economy.

Day made the remarks in Singapore where he was attending an APEC summit with Prime Minister Stephen Harper in advance of Harper's visits to India and China.

"This is about relationships and ... we don't approach it from the point of view of saying let's hammer them publicly," Day told CTV's Question Period.

"Neither country is out to publicly hit the other one. We are out to work together in a co-operative way to see ... the improvement of life in both our countries."

CRITICIZED

The Conservative government has been openly criticized by academics and opposition critics for lashing out at China's human rights record while failing to establish strong diplomatic ties with the country since Harper came to office.

This trip is seen by many as an attempt to quash such criticism and reverse slights such as Harper's refusal to attend the Beijing Olympic Games last year.

"I think it's important the government learned the lesson of engagement. For me it's been four lost years. We've lost opportunities," Liberal foreign affairs critic Bob Rae said. "It's really tragic that it's taken Mr. Harper so long to figure it out."

Rae said he was amazed Harper is not widening his trip to include a visit to Pakistan to go over details of the mission in Afghanistan.

NDP MP Paul Dewar hopes the Conservatives don't plan to ignore the human rights issue going forward.

"Their approach was to chastise but not to be able to significantly do anything. So this shows a maturation in their approach," Dewar said. "They now have to be clear about what their goals are."

PETER.ZIMONJIC@SUNMEDIA.CA