Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Zhang Junsai, Ambassador of China during a photo opportunity in the PM's office in Ottawa Jan 11, 2012. (ANDRE FORGET/QMI AGENCY)

OTTAWA - With a little statecraft, Prime Minister Stephen Harper hopes to usher in a new era of trade and investment with China.

Harper, accompanied by Chinese Ambassador Zhang Junsai, announced Wednesday he would make his anticipated second official visit to China in the second week of February.

"This relationship has been developing very rapidly in quite a few areas, especially in the economic areas," Zhang said. "We hope that we will maintain this relationship and lift it up further after your visit." While there, Harper will meet with Chinese President Hu Jianto and Premier Wen Jiabao.

In a statement, the prime minister underscored Canada's focus on deepening economic ties with China and "setting the foundation for long-term growth." The Conservative government has been hammering home the message it wants to boost trade with emerging Asia-Pacific economies. In July, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird called China the "centrepiece" of Canada's diplomatic ties with Asia.

When Washington, D.C., announced it had placed the Alberta-to-Texas Keystone XL pipeline decision on ice, that relationship took on a new urgency, with Harper taking the time at last November's APEC summit to sell Hu on the merits of Canadian oil.

Peter Harder, president of the Canada China Business Council, said we offer a wide range of economic activity to the Chinese, from natural resources to green energy know-how and education.

"There are huge opportunities for Canada," he said.

Harder also hopes the prime minister manages at least a tentative deal on the Canada-China foreign investment protection agreement, which has been in the works since 1994.

The thawing relations come after years of diplomatic snubs by Harper. He failed to attend the opening of the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, was outspoken on China's human rights abuses and played host to the Dalai Lama despite China's protests.

But trade jumped since Harper's first visit to the economic juggernaut in 2009 and bilateral merchandise trade reached $57.7 billion in 2010.

Conservatives ministers have paid over 30 visits to China since 2009. Ottawa also hosted Hu in 2010.