Carney heads to China next week for first visit by a prime minister in eight years

Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to China next week — the first visit to the country by a Canadian prime minister since 2017 — as the two countries move to restore stronger ties after years of trade and political tensions.

International security and trade highlight the agenda for Carney’s visit, with a specific focus on energy and agriculture.

The Prime Minister’s Office has not yet said whether Carney will meet face-to-face with President Xi Jinping during the trip, which will begin Jan. 13 and end Jan. 17.

Carney and Xi met on Oct. 31 at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in South Korea — the first official meeting between the leaders of Canada and China since 2017.

Relations between Canada and China have been tense since former prime minister Justin Trudeau last visited China in December 2017. The diplomatic relationship nearly disintegrated in 2018 following Canada’s arrest of a Chinese telecom executive at the request of the United States, and China’s subsequent arbitrary detention of two Canadians who had been working in China.

Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were held in jail for nearly three years. They were released in September 2021 after a deferred prosecution agreement was reached between the U.S. and China in the fraud case against Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou.

Trade relations have also suffered. Canada imposed a 100 per cent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles and a 25 per cent import tax on steel and aluminum over the last two years.

China responded by hitting Canada with a 100 per cent tariff on various agricultural products, including canola oil and peas, plus a 25 per cent levy on pork and seafood products.

China’s ambassador to Canada has said that Chinese tariffs would be removed if Canada dropped its EV tariffs.

Carney and Xi met privately for about 40 minutes at the October summit, and while no movement on trade issues came out of that meeting, Xi invited Carney to visit China in the new year.

Following that meeting, Carney said he was “very pleased’ with that meeting and suggested it represented a “turning point” in Canada-China relations.

That’s a sharp turn from comments Carney made during the leaders’ debate in the spring federal election, when he described China as “the biggest security threat” facing Canada.

Carney later attributed the threat to Chinese foreign interference activities in Canadian politics and China’s activity in the Arctic.

China calls itself a “near-Arctic state” and is looking to develop shipping routes and natural resources in the region.

After the October meeting, Carney said he raised the issue of foreign interference with Xi and that Beijing does not understand how seriously Canada takes the issue.

Last January, a federal inquiry declared that “China is the most active perpetrator of foreign interference targeting Canada’s democratic institutions” at all levels.

Carney said on Nov. 1 that Canada’s strategy is to work with China where there is common ground and respect differences while defending Canadian interests.

With files from Sarah Ritchie and Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press