First visit by a Canadian leader since 2017 aims to ease trade and political tensions.

On Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in the first visit by a leader from the North American country in nearly a decade, an effort marked by attempts to reset relations that have deteriorated in recent years amid trade and political tensions.

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During the meeting, held at the Great Hall of the People, Xi said the “healthy and stable development” of relations between China and Canada “serves the common interests of both countries” and is also “conducive to world peace, stability and prosperity.”

The Chinese leader said contact between the two leaders during an October 2025 meeting in South Korea opened a new phase of rapprochement and called for “advancing the building of a new type of strategic partnership” that would place ties between Beijing and Ottawa on a “sustainable and lasting” path.

Carney thanked Xi for the reception and said Canada is willing to work with China, “on the basis of the good cooperation of the past,” to build a strategic relationship adapted to the current international context that would bring “stability, security and prosperity” to both countries and to the Pacific region.

On Thursday, Carney met with Prime Minister Li Qiang, a meeting that addressed trade and energy cooperation and after which several agreements were signed in areas including trade and customs.

The head of Canada’s Liberal Party said his country is interested in strengthening cooperation in supply chains and strategic sectors, while reiterating support for multilateralism and the international trading system. Meanwhile, Li called for expanding ties in areas such as clean energy, modern agriculture, digital technologies and the aerospace sector.

At the same time, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand held a meeting in which they discussed the need to clear away “interference” and strengthen mutual trust to promote the “stable, solid and healthy” development of bilateral relations.

Carney’s visit comes after years of friction stemming from trade and security disputes and at a time when Ottawa is seeking to diversify its economic relationships amid an international environment marked by rising trade tensions.

Relations between China and Canada began to strain in 2018, when Ottawa arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at the request of the United States. Beijing responded by detaining Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor and imposing trade sanctions.

The situation improved partially in 2021 with the release of Meng, Kovrig and Spavor, but deteriorated again in 2023 when Canadian intelligence accused Beijing of interfering in its general elections and expelled a Chinese diplomat.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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