Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered a pointed message Friday directly to the People's Republic of China from the people back home: Canada wants to sell you its oil and gas, but won't trade its principles along with it.

He also targeted groups opposed to Canada's energy development, saying his government will put the country's economic interests ahead of "foreign money and influence" trying to obstruct petroleum production.

Harper used a keynote speech to 600 Chinese and Canadian business leaders gathered in Guangzhou - one of the largest cities in the world's most populous country - to champion what he said is a new era in a strategic Canada-China energy partnership. However, he also used the 21-minute speech to tell the Chinese, on their turf but in his terms, that Canada will not sever its trading relationships from national values such as human rights, and expects China to be a responsible global citizen.

And with major U.S. media outlets covering his speech, Harper also delivered a notsosubtle reminder to the United States: If you don't want Canadian oilsands crude, China is a waiting customer with a growing energy appetite.

Indeed, it wasn't just what Harper had to say on Friday, but where he was delivering it. In the first speech by a Canadian prime minister in Guangzhou, he reinforced the message that Canada wants to take its bilateral relationship to the "next level," and that boosting trade is the way to achieve it.

Canada has an abundance of petroleum and is looking to "profoundly diversify" its trade relationships, Harper said, as well as deepen its economic co-operation with a booming China that needs resources to fuel its growth.

"We are an emerging energy superpower," Harper told corporate leaders at the Canada-China business dinner in the city of 13 million people. "We have abundant supplies of virtually every form of energy. And you know, we want to sell our energy to people who want to buy our energy.

It's that simple," he said, to applause from the crowd. Harper said it's the government's responsibility to ensure the resources are produced in an environmentally sustainable manner.

But the federal government must also put the interests of Canadians ahead of "foreign money and influence" that are deliberately trying to obstruct oil-and-gas development in Canada - such as the Northern Gateway oilsands pipeline - "in favour of energy imported from other, less stable parts of the world," he said.

Harper noted that virtually all of Canada's energy exports currently go to the U.S. and that it's increasingly clear the country's commercial interests are best served by diversifying its energy markets.

However, he argued Canada's relative wealth and prosperity has come not only from resources and hard work, but also democracy, the rule of law and human rights. "Canada does not - and cannot - disconnect our trading relationship from fundamental national values," Harper said.

"Therefore, in relations between China and Canada, you should expect us to continue to raise issues of fundamental freedoms and human rights and to be a vocal advocate for these, just as we will be an effective partner in our growing and mutually beneficial economic relationship."

Harper also called on China to be a responsible citizen on global security. Ottawa is disappointed with China's decision to veto the UN Security Council calling on Syrian President Bashar Assad to quit and end the bloodshed.