Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney departs for China on Tuesday, where he will discuss trade and international security at a time when Canada faces uncertain relations with the U.S. due to a trade war and annexation threats from President Donald Trump.
It is the first visit to Beijing by a Canadian prime minister since 2017 and could mark a critical shift in ties between the two countries as Canada seeks new trade and security partnerships.
“At a time of global trade disruption, Canada is focused on building a more competitive, sustainable and independent economy,” Carney said in a statement. “We’re forging new partnerships around the world to transform our economy from one that has been reliant on a single trade partner.”
He will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday and other officials.
Canadian officials said that there will be progress on trade irritants with Beijing, but not a definitive elimination of some tariffs.
Carney will be in China until Saturday, and then visit Qatar before attending the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, next week.
