Carney Praises Renewed Canada–China Strategic Ties During Talks with Xi in Beijing

By Staff, Agencies

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Friday welcomed what he described as a strategic partnership between Canada and China during talks with President Xi Jinping in Beijing, as the two countries seek to strengthen relations after nearly a decade of strained ties.

Opening the bilateral meeting, Carney said he was “extremely pleased” with the pace at which Ottawa and Beijing are advancing the renewed partnership.

He said the relationship would not only strengthen bilateral cooperation for the benefit of both populations, but would also, in Canada’s view, contribute to stabilizing the multilateral system, which he said has been under growing pressure in recent years.

Xi, for his part, said he was encouraged by the progress made since the two countries began restoring ties in recent months.

He referred to their previous meeting on the sidelines of the APEC summit in South Korea last October as a turning point in relations between Beijing and Ottawa.

“A stable and healthy China–Canada relationship serves the interests of both countries and contributes to global peace and stability,” Xi said.

Carney’s four-day visit to China, which began on Wednesday, marks the first trip by a Canadian prime minister to the country in eight years. It follows a prolonged period of tension over issues including Canada’s 2018 detention of a senior Chinese technology executive and Ottawa’s imposition of steep tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles.

Since taking office 10 months ago, Carney has sought to rebuild relations with China as part of a broader effort to diversify Canada’s foreign partnerships amid worsening relations with the United States under President Donald Trump.

On Thursday, Carney said Canada was entering a new phase in its relationship with China.

“We are ready to forge a new partnership—one that builds on our strongest traditions and responds to today’s challenges,” he wrote on X after arriving in Beijing late Wednesday.

Canada’s urgency has been heightened by increased US tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. More than three-quarters of Canadian exports currently go to the United States, and Carney has pledged to reduce that dependence by doubling exports to other markets over the next decade.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand echoed that message in Beijing, saying Canada aims to double trade with non-US partners over the next ten years in response to fundamental changes in the global economic landscape.

At the outset of the visit, the Canadian government announced it had signed eight memoranda of understanding with China, covering areas including energy, pet food exports, culture, and tourism.

Carney told Xi that he believes both countries can make immediate and long-term progress in sectors such as agriculture, agri-food, energy and finance, though details of the cooperation have yet to be finalized.

In recent months, China’s state media has urged Canada to pursue a foreign policy less aligned with the United States, advocating what it describes as “strategic autonomy.”

While Canada remains one of Washington’s closest allies, Beijing appears hopeful that President Trump’s economic and military actions abroad could weaken that long-standing relationship.

Trump reignited tensions with Canada early in his second term by making remarks about turning Canada into the 51^st US state—comments Ottawa has firmly rejected.