Foreign media reported today that Canadian Prime Minister Carney (Mark Carney) will visit China from January 14 to 17, marking the first visit by a Canadian prime minister to China since 2017, seen as a signal of improving Sino-Canadian relations.
Carney's office stated that this visit will focus on issues such as trade, energy, agriculture, and international security.
Analyzes suggest that both sides will focus on economic and trade matters, and Canada will also use this opportunity to reorient its Asian strategy. However, since the Meng Wanzhou incident, Sino-Canadian relations have been in a stalemate. Whether this visit can break the deadlock is a key point to watch.
China is an important trade partner for Canada. In 2024, the total value of goods trade between the two countries reached 118.7 billion U.S. dollars, with Canada's exports to China amounting to 29.9 billion U.S. dollars and imports from China reaching 88.8 billion U.S. dollars.
The timing of this visit to China is not accidental. Global supply chains have been affected by the high tariffs and protectionist policies of the United States, and Canada is facing export pressure.
As a country with moderate influence, Canada highly depends on foreign trade and therefore must seek more trade partners to enhance economic resilience. Since taking office, Carney has been committed to re-examining Canada's international strategy, especially the Asian market.
In recent years, the worldview of Canadians has changed significantly. Previously, they considered the United States the most reliable ally and neighbor, but now more people see the United States as a potential threat; while positive views of China are actually greater than those of the United States, with more than half of the population hoping to increase economic and trade exchanges with China.
Carney announced a major economic strategy in 2025, aiming to double Canada's exports to markets outside the United States by 2035, to reduce dependence on a single market.
Canada's exports to China mainly include energy and agricultural products, while China's exports to Canada mainly consist of electronic products and machinery. From the perspective of commodity trade, the two sides' trade does not involve sensitive technologies such as high-end chips, so the potential for economic and trade cooperation remains significant.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1854265586028552/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.