Canada’s Carney hails ‘strategic partnership’ in talks with Xi

“RIGHT TRACK”

Ties between the two nations withered in 2018 over Canada’s arrest of the daughter of Huawei’s founder on a US warrant, and China’s retaliatory detention of two Canadians on espionage charges.

The two countries imposed tariffs on each other’s exports in the years that ensued, with China also being accused of interfering in Canada’s elections.

But Carney has sought a pivot, and Beijing has also said it is willing to get relations back on “the right track”.

The Canadian leader, who on Thursday met with Premier Li Qiang, is also scheduled to hold talks with business leaders to discuss trade.

Canada, traditionally a staunch US ally, has been hit especially hard by Trump’s steep tariffs on steel, aluminium, vehicles and lumber.

Washington’s move has prompted Canada to seek business elsewhere.

In October, Carney said Canada should double its non-US exports by 2035 to reduce reliance on the United States.

But the United States remains far and away its largest market, buying around 75 per cent of Canadian goods in 2024, according to Canadian government statistics.

While Ottawa has stressed that China is Canada’s second-largest market, it lags far behind, buying less than 4 per cent of Canadian exports in 2024.

Officials from both countries have been in talks to lower tariffs and boost bilateral trade, though an agreement has yet to be reached.