Canada, China enter ‘new era’ as PM Mark Carney visits Beijing after eight years – Firstpost

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s arrival in Beijing this week goes beyond a long-delayed diplomatic visit. It pointed to a shift in Canada’s approach as it deals with rising pressure from its closest ally, the United States while exploring ways to mend a relationship with China that has remained strained for years.

On his first visit to China since taking office 10 months ago and the first by a Canadian leader in eight year, Carney remarked the two countries were entering a “new era” of relations, a phrase that reflects both economic urgency and geopolitical caution.

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At home, Carney is grappling with a structural challenge sharpened under US President Donald Trump: Canada’s heavy reliance on the American trade. More than three-quarters of Canadian exports go to the United States, leaving Ottawa exposed to tariff shocks and policy uncertainty south of the border.

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Trump’s latest round of higher import tariffs has further intensified that exposure, prompting Carney to quicken efforts to diversify trade. His stated aim to double exports to non-US markets over the next decade has made renewed engagement with the world’s second-largest economy harder to sidestep.

China sees opportunity as ties with US allies strain

China, for its part, appears open to such renewed engagement, seeing an opening in Washington’s tougher trade stance towards its allies. Beijing has long argued that the United States pressures partners such as Canada to align against China, especially during the previous Biden administration. In this context, Chinese officials have portrayed Carney’s visit as both a warming of diplomatic ties and a test of how far US allies are prepared to pursue a more independent foreign policy amid fresh American pressure.

Meeting Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday, Carney spoke of building a novel partnership rooted in past cooperation while responding to current challenges. Li welcomed the visit as a sign of improved relations after years of tension. Carney is due to meet President Xi Jinping on Friday, a meeting that carries added importance given the lengthy pause in senior-level political contact between the two countries.

Past disputes cast a long shadow over reset effort

The context for the visit is a relationship weighed down by repeated flashpoints. Strains deepened in late 2018 when Canadian authorities detained Meng Wanzhou, Huawei Technologies’ chief financial officer, at the request of the United States, which was seeking her extradition. China responded by detaining two Canadian citizens on espionage charges, pushing bilateral ties into a prolonged freeze and weakening trust on both sides.

Trade disputes have added to the strain. In 2024, Canada followed the U.S. lead under former prime minister Justin Trudeau by imposing tariffs of 100% on Chinese-made electric vehicles and 25% on steel and aluminium. China hit back with 100% duties on Canadian canola oil and meal, 25% tariffs on pork and seafood and a 75.8% levy on canola seeds. Together, these steps effectively closed the Chinese bazaar to Canadian canola, dealing a sharp setback to a sector that depended heavily on Chinese demand.

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Despite these tensions, Carney’s Beijing agenda has remained largely practical. He met several major Chinese companies, including e-commerce group Alibaba, state-owned oil giant China National Petroleum Corp., and battery maker CATL. The meetings suggest Ottawa is placing emphasis on commercial ties even as trade disputes and political sensitivities remain unresolved.

Canada’s Foreign Minister Anita Anand, who is travelling with Carney, told her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that the prime minister aims to restart dialogue across a range of areas. A statement from China’s Foreign Ministry mentioned Wang described the visit as a turning point that could create fresh opportunities for bilateral relations.

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Whether this early effort to reset ties can hold amid competing pressures from Washington and Beijing remains unclear. For now, Carney’s visit reflects a bid to limit exposure to US trade pressure while gradually reopening channels with China, an effort driven as much by economic necessity as by a changing global environment.

With inputs from agencies

TagsCanada ChinaHomeWorldPushed by Trump, pulled by China: Canada's PM Carney signals strategic reset in ties with BeijingEnd of Article