Turning Point? Canada–China Ties Tested as Carney Visits Beijing

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to visit China from Tuesday to Saturday, marking the first trip by a Canadian leader to Beijing in nearly a decade. The visit comes as Ottawa looks to rebuild strained ties with China while reducing its heavy economic dependence on the United States.

During the visit, Carney is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, along with senior government and business leaders. His office says the talks will focus on trade, energy, agriculture and international security, signalling an effort to revive dialogue after years of diplomatic tensions.

Relations between Canada and China sharply deteriorated in 2018 following the arrest of a Huawei executive in Vancouver on a U.S. warrant and China’s subsequent detention of two Canadian citizens. Since then, both countries have imposed tariffs on key goods, including Canadian canola, steel and agricultural products, while Beijing has faced repeated accusations of interference in Canadian domestic affairs.

A potential thaw began in October when Carney and Xi held their first formal talks on the sidelines of the APEC summit. Carney described that meeting as a “turning point,” saying difficult issues such as election interference and trade disputes needed to be addressed directly to move relations forward.

The visit also reflects Canada’s shifting global strategy as U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade policies continue to impact Canadian exports. With tariffs affecting steel, aluminum, vehicles and lumber, Ottawa has signalled its intention to diversify trade and double non-U.S. exports by 2035.

As both Canada and China face economic pressure from U.S. tariffs, Carney’s Beijing trip is widely seen as an attempt to stabilize relations, ease trade tensions and explore a more balanced path forward in a rapidly changing global landscape.