Canada’s PM Mark Carney, center, walks through a hotel lobby in Beijing [AP Photo]
On the first trip by a Canadian leader to China in eight years, Prime Minister Mark Carney said yesterday that the two countries are entering a new era of relations.
Carney, who became prime minister 10 months ago, is attempting to repair ties with China following several years of acrimony over issues ranging from Canada’s 2018 arrest of a senior Chinese tech executive to 100% Canadian tariffs on China-made electric vehicles.
He met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who hailed the turnaround in relations. Carney meets top leader Xi Jinping on Friday.
The Canadian government’s push to boost ties has been made more pressing by higher import tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. More than 75% percent of Canada’s exports go to the U.S., and Carney has set a goal of reducing that reliance by doubling Canada’s exports to other countries over the next decade.
He held meetings Thursday with several leading Chinese companies including e-commerce giant Alibaba, the state-owned oil company China National Petroleum Corp. and the leading electric vehicle battery producer CATL.
“We’re ready to build a new partnership — one that builds on the best of our past, and responds to the challenges of today,” Carney posted on X after his arrival in Beijing on Wednesday night.
Canada, following the U.S. lead, announced tariffs of 100% on EVs from China and 25% on steel and aluminum in 2024 under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Carney’s predecessor.
China responded by imposing duties of 100% on Canadian canola oil and meal and 25% on pork and seafood. It added a 75.8% tariff on canola seeds last August. Collectively, the import taxes effectively closed the Chinese market to Canadian canola exports, an industry group said. KEN MORITSUGU, BEIJING, MDT/AP
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