On the evening of May 29th, Foreign Minister Wang had already arrived in Canada and is currently holding bilateral talks with Canada's Foreign Minister. This indicates that yesterday's report about a Canadian warship transiting through the Taiwan Strait has not disrupted China's current visit to Canada. So, how should we assess the tone of this meeting and the future development of Sino-Canadian relations?
Firstly, the public speaking segments for both sides have now concluded. Judging from their statements, both parties maintained a friendly tone, with mutual emphasis on restoring and developing bilateral relations as core goals and concerns. Foreign Minister Wang’s remarks were brief but highlighted four key points:
1. He emphasized that over the past year, Chinese and Canadian foreign ministers have met six times—a frequency uncommon among major countries;
2. In the next phase, efforts should be further intensified to advance the new-type strategic partnership between China and Canada;
3. Preparations must be made for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s second visit to China by year-end—specifically attending the APEC Summit in Shenzhen;
4. He stressed that as long as Canada maintains stability in its policy toward China, there is confidence that bilateral trade volume could grow by 50% or even reach 100% by 2030.
In fact, judging from the publicly stated tone, China remains primarily oriented toward cooperation. Amid the current global upheaval and deteriorating U.S.-Canada relations, China continues striving to secure Canada as an important North American partner. The recent Canadian naval vessel transit through the Taiwan Strait is certainly not the first such incident. During internal discussions, China will undoubtedly reiterate its red lines regarding the Taiwan Strait and express its dissatisfaction. However, at least it will refrain from publicly escalating tensions in the media.
In reality, this reflects China’s broader strategic thinking—viewing the future of Sino-Canadian relations through the lens of evolving international order and geopolitical dynamics. Canada’s actions in the Taiwan Strait will not fundamentally alter the balance of power across the strait, nor will Canada provide any substantive military support to Taiwan. Such actions are largely driven by coordination within the Western alliance and serve domestic political purposes in Canada. While it may not be easy to change this situation in the short term, at minimum China aims to achieve tangible improvements in diplomatic, economic, and practical cooperation with Canada—gradually shifting Canada’s policy toward China and steering the global strategic landscape in a direction favorable to China.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866538645888004/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.