A leader of the Canadian government is visiting China this week for the primary time in practically a decade, a bid to rebuild his nation’s fractured relations with the world’s second-largest financial system — and scale back Canada’s dependence on the USA, its neighbor and until recently one in every of its most supportive and loyal allies.
The push by Prime Minster Mark Carney, who arrives Wednesday, is a part of a serious rethink as ties bitter with the USA — the world’s No. 1 financial system and lengthy the most important buying and selling accomplice for Canada by far.
Carney goals to double Canada’s non-U.S. exports within the subsequent decade within the face of President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the American chief’s musing that Canada may change into “the 51st state.”
“At a time of worldwide commerce disruption, Canada is concentrated on constructing a extra aggressive, sustainable, and impartial financial system,” Carney stated in a information launch saying his China go to. “We’re forging new partnerships world wide to rework our financial system from one which has been reliant on a single commerce accomplice.”
He can be in China till Saturday, then go to Qatar earlier than attending the annual assembly of the World Financial Discussion board in Switzerland subsequent week.
Trump’s tariffs have pushed each Canada and China to search for alternatives to strengthen worldwide cooperation, stated Zhu Feng, the dean of the College of Worldwide Research at China’s Nanjing College.
“Carney’s go to does replicate the brand new area for additional improvement in China-Canadian relations below the present U.S. commerce protectionism,” he stated. However he cautioned in opposition to overestimating the significance of the go to, noting that Canada stays a U.S. ally. The 2 North American nations additionally share a deep cultural heritage and a typical geography.
New leaders have pivoted towards China
Carney has been in workplace lower than a 12 months, succeeding Justin Trudeau, who was prime minister for practically a decade. He’s not the primary new chief of a rustic to attempt to restore relations with China.
Australian Premier Anthony Albanese has reset ties since his Labor Occasion got here to energy in 2022. Relations had deteriorated below the earlier conservative authorities, resulting in Chinese language commerce restrictions on wine, beef, coal and different Australian exports. Unwinding these restrictions took about 18 months, culminating with the lifting of a Chinese language ban on Australian lobsters in late 2024.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has sought to restore ties with China since his Labour Occasion ousted the Conservatives in 2024. He’s reportedly planning a go to to China, although the federal government has not confirmed that.
The 2 governments have variations, with Starmer elevating the case of former Hong Kong media magnate Jimmy Lai, a British citizen, in talks with Chinese language chief Xi Jinping in late 2024 in Brazil.
Trump, who has stated he’ll come to China in April, has indicated he needs a clean relationship with China, although he additionally launched a tit-for-tat commerce struggle, with tariffs rising to greater than 100% earlier than he backed down.
Bumpy relations, with Washington within the center
In Canada, Trump’s threats have raised questions concerning the nation’s longstanding relationship with its way more highly effective neighbor. These shut ties have additionally been the supply of a lot of Canada’s friction with China in recent times.
It was Canada’s detention of a Chinese language telecommunications government on the request of the U.S. that began the deterioration of relations in late 2018. The U.S. wished the Huawei Applied sciences Co. government, Meng Wenzhou, to be extradited to face American fees.
China retaliated by arresting two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, on spying fees. Whereas they have been imprisoned, Meng was below home arrest in Vancouver, a Canadian metropolis house to a large Chinese language inhabitants. All three have been launched below a deal reached in 2021.
Extra lately, Canada adopted the U.S. in imposing a 100% tariff on electric vehicles and a 25% tariff on metal and aluminum from China.
China, which is Canada’s second-largest buying and selling accomplice after the U.S., has hit again with tariffs on Canadian exports together with canola, seafood and pork. It has indicated it might take away a few of the tariffs if Canada have been to drop the 100% cost on EVs.
An editorial in China’s state-run World Occasions newspaper welcomed Carney’s go to as a brand new place to begin and known as on Canada to raise “unreasonable tariff restrictions” and advance extra pragmatic cooperation.
Chinese language International Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated Monday that China seems ahead to Carney’s go to as a chance to “consolidate the momentum of enchancment in China-Canada relations.”
Canada can be repairing ties with India
Carney met Xi in late October in South Korea, the place each have been attending the annual Asia-Pacific Financial Cooperation (APEC) summit.
He has additionally tried to fix ties with India, the place relations deteriorated in 2024 after the Trudeau authorities accused India of being concerned within the 2023 killing of a Sikh activist in Canada. The fallout led to tit-for-tat expulsions of senior diplomats, disruption of visa providers, lowered consular staffing and a freeze on commerce talks.
A cautious thaw started final June. Since then, either side have restored some consular providers and resumed diplomatic contacts. In November, Canadian International Minister Anita Anand stated the 2 nations would transfer shortly to advance a commerce deal, noting the federal government’s new overseas coverage in response to Trump’s commerce struggle.
Carney can be anticipated to go to India later this 12 months.
Related Press journalists Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi and Jill Lawless in London, and researcher Shihuan Chen in Beijing contributed.
—Ken Moritsugu, Related Press
