Prime Minister Mark Carney aims to reshape Canada’s ties with China during his upcoming meeting with President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea. This encounter marks the first high-level discussion between the two nations since tensions escalated due to the 2018 arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou and subsequent retaliatory actions by Beijing against two detained Canadians.
Carney, speaking to the press at the conclusion of the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, confirmed the scheduled meeting and emphasized its significance as a starting point for broader dialogue. Referring to a recent interaction with Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the UN General Assembly, Carney highlighted that various issues, including the commercial partnership and global system dynamics, will be on the agenda during the upcoming talks with President Xi.
In a related context, U.S. President Donald Trump also expressed interest in a meeting with Xi following the announcement of a potential trade deal framework between the two countries. Carney, on his part, hinted at potential policy shifts such as relaxing investment restrictions on Chinese capital previously implemented by the former Liberal government led by Justin Trudeau. He also mentioned the possibility of exploring a free trade agreement with China or removing tariffs imposed on Chinese electric vehicles concurrently with the U.S. in 2024.
Carney stressed the need to rebuild and strengthen the strained relationship with China, underscoring the country’s importance as Canada’s second-largest trading partner and a major global economic player. The historical context of failed trade negotiations under the Trudeau administration in 2017 and subsequent deteriorating relations due to recent trade actions and sanctions were also highlighted.
The Prime Minister acknowledged the challenges of starting from a position of strained relations but expressed optimism about the potential for significant improvements moving forward.
