By Chinonyerem Emmanuel
BEIJING – Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday offered strong praise for China’s leadership and highlighted rapidly improving relations between Ottawa and Beijing, signaling what both sides described as a renewed and more pragmatic partnership at a moment of deep global uncertainty and geopolitical strain.
Speaking during a high-level meeting in Beijing, Carney said Canada and China were charting a new course in cooperation after years of strained ties, emphasizing shared interests in trade, energy, agriculture and multilateral engagement. His four-day visit marks the first trip to China by a Canadian prime minister since 2017 and follows an upbeat meeting between Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of a summit in South Korea last October.
The two leaders are scheduled to meet again on Friday, a sign of the growing momentum behind the diplomatic reset.
“We’re heartened by the leadership of President Xi Jinping and the speed with which our relationship has progressed,” Carney told Zhao Leji, China’s top legislator and a senior member of the Communist Party’s leadership.
“It sets the stage for important discussions on a wide range of issues where we can be strategic partners — from energy and agriculture to people-to-people ties, multilateralism and security.”
Carney’s optimistic tone reflects months of intensified re-engagement between the two countries following a period of frostiness under his predecessor, former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Relations had deteriorated over trade disputes, political disagreements and concerns over national security, but both governments have recently sought to recalibrate their approach amid shifting global dynamics.
That recalibration has been given added urgency by Canada’s evolving relationship with the United States. After U.S. President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on certain Canadian goods last year and repeatedly suggested Canada could become America’s “51st state,” Ottawa has accelerated efforts to diversify its export markets.
Trump further unsettled Canadian policymakers this week by declaring that the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which is due for review this year, was no longer relevant for Washington. Canada currently sends roughly three-quarters of its exports to the United States, making China — its second-largest trading partner — increasingly important.
Symbolically underscoring the visit, Canada’s red-and-white maple leaf flag flew near Chairman Mao Zedong’s portrait in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, where the People’s Republic of China was proclaimed in 1949. In a separate meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Carney said both sides had made tangible progress in resolving trade irritants and creating new platforms for cooperation.
“Our teams have worked hard, addressing trade irritants and creating platforms for new opportunities,” Carney said. “I believe that together, we are bringing this relationship back toward where it should be.”
One of the most sensitive issues on the agenda remains trade tensions surrounding electric vehicles. Relations worsened in 2024 when Trudeau’s government imposed tariffs on Chinese-made EVs, following similar measures taken by the United States.
Ottawa argued that heavy state subsidies gave Chinese manufacturers an unfair competitive advantage, threatening Canada’s domestic auto industry.
Beijing responded with retaliatory tariffs on more than $2.6 billion worth of Canadian agricultural and food products, including canola oil, meal and seeds.
The measures contributed to a sharp decline in Chinese imports of Canadian goods last year, with trade data showing a 10.4% drop in 2025. Canadian Industry Minister Melanie Joly, who accompanied Carney on the trip, said discussions on the auto tariffs were still ongoing and declined to confirm reports that Canada might consider cutting the EV tariffs by half. Negotiations are expected to continue during Friday’s meetings.
Despite these unresolved issues, dialogue between the two countries has accelerated since Carney took office. On Thursday, Canada and China signed a new trade and economic roadmap committing both sides to maintaining open channels of communication, particularly to resolve disputes over agricultural trade.
Under the framework, Canada welcomed Chinese investment in sectors such as energy, agriculture and consumer goods, while China expressed interest in increased Canadian investment in services, aerospace, advanced manufacturing and new materials.
Energy cooperation featured prominently in the talks. Both countries said they would explore collaboration in oil and gas development as well as natural uranium trade.
Canada’s Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson said Chinese officials had made clear they were seeking reliable, long-term partners and were keen to expand imports of Canadian energy products.
“These agreements provide an example to the world of cooperation at a time of global division and disorder,” Carney said, framing the renewed engagement as a model for pragmatic diplomacy.
Since arriving in Beijing on Wednesday, Carney has also met with senior executives from some of China’s most influential companies, including battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), China National Petroleum Corp, Envision Energy, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Primavera Capital Group and e-commerce leader Alibaba.
The meetings reflect Canada’s broader push to deepen commercial ties and attract investment as it navigates an increasingly fragmented global economy.
Together, the visit and accompanying agreements suggest a cautious but deliberate effort by both Canada and China to move past years of tension and rebuild a relationship anchored in economic cooperation, strategic dialogue and mutual necessity.
Source Reuters
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