Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is in Beijing, China for trade talks as the federal government in Ottawa pushes to double non-U.S. trade by 2035.
Carney is the first Canadian prime minister to visit China in nearly a decade and is seeking to move past years of diplomatic tensions between officials in Ottawa and Beijing.
Canada’s prime minister is scheduled to meet with senior Chinese leaders on Jan. 15 ahead of a formal meeting with President Xi Jinping and a business banquet on Jan. 16.
Relations between the two countries have been strained since China detained two Canadians in 2019 in retaliation for the arrest of a Chinese tech executive in Vancouver on a U.S. warrant.
In recent years, Canada’s federal government has also accused China of electoral interference and criticized the Asian nation’s human rights record.
In 2022, the Canadian government labeled China a “disruptive global power” that does not share Canada’s values.
But now, Carney calls Beijing a “strategic partner,” and recently advised federal politicians not to visit Taiwan, which is a disputed territory that China claims ownership over.
Carney and his government are looking to advance trade and environmental co-operation with China as relations with the neighbouring U.S. become increasingly strained.
For their part, China’s leaders are looking to boost the domestic economy, which is struggling with high youth unemployment and a slumping property market.
Canada’s efforts to boost trade with China also come ahead of negotiations this year with the U.S. and Mexico on the current North American trade deal, which is up for a scheduled review.
Trade issues that are expected to be discussed between Carney and Xi include China’s tariffs on Canadian pork, canola and seafood, as well as Canada’s tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.
China is Canada’s second-largest trade partner after the U.S. Two-way trade between Canada and China reached $118.7 billion in 2024, according to government data.
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