Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney is en route to China for a pivotal visit aimed at resetting ties with Beijing and finding new economic opportunities for his country outside the US. It will not be an easy task, with pressure on Canada to balance its goal of diversifying trade without risking damage to its relationship with Donald Trump or compromising national security and human rights commitments. But with ongoing uncertainty over Canada's trade future with the US – its largest customer – the country now finds itself seeking to repair strained relations to protect its economy.
Senior Canadian officials have described the trip, the first to China by a Canadian prime minister since 2017, as consequential and historic and part of a bold plan to double Canada's non-US exports over the next decade. Trade will be on the agenda, along with agriculture and international security, Carney's office said. Beijing's foreign ministry stated that the two countries have shared interests and should work to increase people-to-people ties and cultural exchanges.
On Thursday, Carney meets the Premier of China, Li Qiang, and the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, Zhao Leji. On Friday, the prime minister is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping one-on-one, after the pair met last year during an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea. This visit is significant as relations took a downturn in 2018 when Canada arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, resulting in reciprocal actions from China.
The Carney government is set to approach talks focused on enhancing collaboration in energy and climate while managing areas of conflict, reflecting a more realistic perspective on the relationship. Importantly, Carney aims to ease tariffs on Canadian canola, which have negatively affected farmers, mirroring frustrations highlighted by Chinese media. As negotiations progress, Canada's positioning will alert US observers, striving to balance domestic interests with international relations.
Senior Canadian officials have described the trip, the first to China by a Canadian prime minister since 2017, as consequential and historic and part of a bold plan to double Canada's non-US exports over the next decade. Trade will be on the agenda, along with agriculture and international security, Carney's office said. Beijing's foreign ministry stated that the two countries have shared interests and should work to increase people-to-people ties and cultural exchanges.
On Thursday, Carney meets the Premier of China, Li Qiang, and the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, Zhao Leji. On Friday, the prime minister is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping one-on-one, after the pair met last year during an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea. This visit is significant as relations took a downturn in 2018 when Canada arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, resulting in reciprocal actions from China.
The Carney government is set to approach talks focused on enhancing collaboration in energy and climate while managing areas of conflict, reflecting a more realistic perspective on the relationship. Importantly, Carney aims to ease tariffs on Canadian canola, which have negatively affected farmers, mirroring frustrations highlighted by Chinese media. As negotiations progress, Canada's positioning will alert US observers, striving to balance domestic interests with international relations.
