Canola, seafood, electric vehicles at center of talks between PM Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping

Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Chinese President Xi Jinping today, marking a step toward mending a historically strained relationship.

“We now have a turning point in the relationship, a turning point that creates opportunities for Canadian families, for Canadian businesses and Canadian workers and also creates a path to address current issues,” Prime Minister Carney said.

Talks focused on canola, seafood, and electric vehicles with officials directed to move “quickly to resolve outstanding trade issued and irritants.”

Producers in those industries were hit hard by Chinese tariffs in response to Canada’s 100 per cent tariffs imposed on Chinese EVs last year.

“We have a challenging and complex relationship with China,” Vina Madjibulla, Research & Strategy Vice President of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada says.

“Obviously, we want to have some relief from the canola tariffs because they are hurting Canadian farmers. But there’s a broader issue set connected to national security, economic security, foreign interference.”

Nadjibulla says discussions are different this time around under Canada’s new leadership, while Xi’s office also pointed to Canada and China’s relationship beginning to recover and improve.

We’re in a very different moment,” she says.

“China is a different country now; much more aggressive, much more powerful. And of course Canada is in a different situation. Our relationship with the U.S. is in a much more difficult place. So we do need to diversify our partnerships.”

Nadjibulla says this comes with its own set of risks, and warns about being over-reliant on China as a trading partner as Canada tries to move away from the United States.

“Both China and the U.S. are now weaponizing interdependence,” she says.

“So we have to have many partners. We have to diversify in Asia, deepen partnerships in Europe and have as many partners as possible but not be dependent on any one single market.”

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