Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay is heading to China on a week-long trade mission to showcase Canada’s agri-food and seafood and boost Canadian agricultural exports, officials said Friday.

During his trip to China from May 14 to 18, MacAulay is expected to hold meetings with leading Chinese companies such as e-commerce giant Alibaba, HeMa, and GFresh to discuss opportunities for Canadian food products.

China has become the world’s largest e-commerce market with online retail sales exceeding $980 billion in 2016 – 39.2 percent of the world total – and is expected to reach $1.3 trillion by 2019, according to Global Affairs Canada.

“With a population of 1.4 billion people, and a growing appetite for high-quality Canadian food products, the Chinese market offers significant opportunities for Canadian agricultural producers and processors,” MacAulay said in a statement.

“I look forward to taking part in agri-business events in China to promote Canada’s top quality agricultural and food products, and to meeting with my Chinese counterpart to build on our shared history of collaboration and strengthen our mutually beneficial trade relationship.”

MacAulay will also participate in roundtable discussions with representatives of Canadian and Chinese companies to discuss market opportunities in China, officials said.

The Liberal minister will also meet with the Chinese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Han Changfu to discuss continued co-operation between the two countries and advocate for expanded market access for Canadian products such as pork, beef and canola, officials said.

Canada was China’s fourth-largest supplier of total agri-food and seafood products in 2016.

Canada’s agri-food and seafood exports to China were valued at $6.8 billion in 2016. Top exports were canola, soybeans, canola oil, dried peas, and frozen pork.

Canada and China are in exploratory talks on a possible free trade agreement between the two countries.

Ottawa and Beijing have agreed to increase collaboration on agriculture, including expanding market access.

The Liberal government plans to grow Canada’s global agriculture and food exports to $75 billion by 2025.