BEIJING (AP) — Faced with new global challenges, the leaders of China and Canada pledged Friday to improve relations between their two nations afteryears of acrimony.
Xi Jinping told visiting Prime Minister Mark Carney that he is willing to continue working to improve ties, noting that talks have been underway on restoring and restarting cooperation since the two heldan initial meetingin October on the sidelines of a regional economic conference in South Korea.
"It can be said that our meeting last year opened a new chapter in turning China–Canada relations toward improvement," China's top leader said.
Carney, the first Canadian prime ministerto visit China in eight years, said better relations would help improve a global governance system that he described as "under great strain."
He called for a new relationship "adapted to new global realities" and cooperation in agriculture, energy and finance.
Those new realities reflect in large part the so-called America-first approach of U.S. President Donald Trump. The tariffs he has imposed have hit both the Canadian and Chinese economies. Carney, who hasmet with several leading Chinese companiesin Beijing, said ahead of his trip that his government is focused on building an economy less reliant on the U.S. at what he called "a time of global trade disruption."
No announcement was made on tariffs between China and Canada, which is a sticking point in the relationship.
Canada followed the U.S. in puttingtariffs of 100%on EVs from China and 25% on steel and aluminum under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Carney's predecessor.
China responded byimposing dutiesof 100% on Canadian canola oil and meal and 25% on pork and seafood. It added a 75.8% tariff on canola seeds last August. Collectively, the import taxes effectively closed the Chinese market to Canadian canola, an industry group has said.
China is hoping Trump's pressure tactics on allies such as Canada willdrive them to pursuea foreign policy that is less aligned with the United States. The U.S. president has suggested Canada could become America's 51st state.
