Canadas Finance Minister Carney praises improved relations with China

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is on a four-day visit to China, the first by a Canadian PM since 2017. The trip aims to improve relations between the two countries.

Carney met with President Xi Jinping in South Korea last October and will meet again on Friday. In Beijing, he told Zhao Leji, China’s top legislator, that Canada is pleased with the progress made in their relationship. Carney expressed optimism about the potential for cooperation on various issues, including energy, agriculture, people-to-people ties, multilateralism, and security.

The visit follows months of efforts by both countries to re-establish ties that had become strained under previous Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The push is also driven by a desire to diversify export markets after US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Canada last year. Carney told Premier Li Qiang that his team has worked hard to address trade irritants and create new opportunities.

In the past, periods of tension have affected relations between the two countries. In 2024, Trudeau’s government imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, citing unfair state subsidies. China retaliated with tariffs on Canadian farm and food products worth over $2.6 billion in March last year. The move led to a decline in Chinese imports of Canadian goods.

Canadian Industry Minister Melanie Joly said that talks about auto tariffs are ongoing when asked if Canada might reduce the EV tariffs by 50 percent. Negotiations will continue on Friday, when Carney meets with Xi. A trade and economic roadmap signed on Thursday outlines commitments from both sides to maintain open channels of communication to resolve issues on trade in agricultural products.

The roadmap also includes plans for cooperation in energy, agriculture, consumer products, services, new materials, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing. In energy, both countries plan to explore oil and gas development and cooperation in the natural uranium trade.

Source: Al Jazeera