Xi, Carney hold landmark talks in Beijing, hail new chapter in ties
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney on Friday welcomed what he described as a “new strategic partnership” with Beijing during talks with President Xi Jinping, marking the first visit by a Canadian leader to China in eight years.
Speaking to Xi at the Great Hall of the People, Carney said that “together we can build on the best of what this relationship has been in the past to create a new one adapted to new global realities,” News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
He added that engagement and cooperation would form “the foundation of our new strategic partnership,” highlighting agriculture, energy and finance as areas where the two sides could achieve the most immediate progress.
Relations between the two countries had been strained for years amid diplomatic disputes triggered by the retaliatory arrests of each other’s citizens, as well as a series of tit-for-tat trade conflicts.
Carney has sought to reset ties with China as part of a broader effort to reduce Canada’s reliance on the US, its main economic partner, particularly as President Donald Trump has aggressively increased tariffs on Canadian products.
Welcoming Carney, Xi said China-Canada relations reached a turning point at their last meeting on the sidelines of the APEC summit in October.
"It can be said that our meeting last year opened a new chapter in turning China-Canada relations toward improvement," Xi told the Canadian leader.
"The healthy and stable development of China-Canada relations serves the common interests of our two countries," he said, adding he was "glad" to see discussions over the last few months to restore cooperation.
Similar news
