Canada’s Carney to Visit China in Bid to Reset Ties
Carney, who has been in office less than a year after succeeding Justin Trudeau, is also seeking to recalibrate ties beyond China.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney attended an event organized by the Canadian Club Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on the 2025 budget. Photo by Anadolu Images.
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anadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is visiting China this week in the first trip by a Canadian leader in nearly a decade, seeking to rebuild strained relations with Beijing and reduce Canada’s heavy economic dependence on the United States.
Carney, who arrives Wednesday, is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday as part of what Canadian officials describe as an effort to re-energize a long-dormant strategic partnership. The visit comes as relations with Washington have deteriorated amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs and his remarks suggesting Canada could become “the 51st state.”
“At a time of global trade disruption, Canada is focused on building a more competitive, sustainable and independent economy,” Carney said in a statement, pledging to double Canada’s non-U.S. exports over the next decade.
Trade diversification drive
China is Canada’s second-largest trading partner after the United States, but bilateral ties have been strained for years by diplomatic disputes and retaliatory trade measures. Canadian officials said the visit could lead to progress on some trade irritants, though they cautioned that existing tariffs are unlikely to be fully lifted.
Beijing has imposed tariffs on Canadian products including canola, seafood and pork after Ottawa followed Washington in levying steep duties on Chinese electric vehicles, steel and aluminum. China has signaled it could ease some measures if Canada drops its 100% tariff on EVs.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing looks forward to the visit as a chance to “consolidate the momentum of improvement in China-Canada relations.”
Political sensitivities
The trip has prompted political debate at home. Two Liberal lawmakers cut short a sponsored visit to Taiwan ahead of Carney’s China trip, citing government advice to avoid confusion over Canada’s China policy. Opposition Conservatives criticized the move as capitulation to Beijing, though the government reiterated that its stance on Taiwan remains unchanged.
China claims self-governed Taiwan as its territory and has vowed to bring it under its control, by force if necessary.
Carney, who has been in office less than a year after succeeding Justin Trudeau, is also seeking to recalibrate ties beyond China. He has begun mending relations with India following a diplomatic rupture in 2024 and is expected to visit later this year.
After concluding his China trip on Saturday, Carney will travel to Qatar before attending the World Economic Forum in Davos next week, as Ottawa accelerates efforts to diversify trade and partnerships amid growing uncertainty in its relationship with Washington.
(Source: The Associated Press)
