Canada proactively reaches out to China
On May 23 local time, Canadian Foreign Minister Anand publicly addressed China.
She stated that the Canadian government deeply mourns the casualties caused by the coal mine explosion in Shanxi Province, extends its sincerest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims, and wishes all injured persons a swift recovery.
This also demonstrates Canada’s proactive approach toward developing relations with China. Offering condolences at this moment is truly rare and significant.
Two points should be noted:
First, Canada is currently actively working on cooperation with China and accelerating the implementation of joint projects.
As Canada urgently seeks to reduce its reliance on the U.S. market, it aims to lower the proportion of exports to the United States to below 60%, or even further.
China’s supply chain and market are crucial in this regard. As previously emphasized by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland during her visit to China, cooperation with China is vital, with hopes to achieve collaboration in multiple areas such as trade, investment, and energy.
In fact, Canada is not particularly concerned about the USMCA agreement at present. On one hand, the constantly shifting U.S. policies have eroded confidence among Canada and Mexico; on the other hand, if Canada can successfully leverage China’s supply chain and market to drive economic growth, the government will gain broader public support, thereby strengthening its negotiating position with the United States.
Second, regarding the recent coal mine gas explosion incident in Shanxi, several foreign leaders have already sent their condolences, including from India, Japan, and others.
Canada is the first country in North America to issue a statement, while Germany and other European nations have also extended their sympathies. It is expected that more European countries will follow suit soon, accelerating their efforts to improve ties with China. After all, the urgent need for cooperation with China has become a consensus among many nations.
Looking at current Sino-Canadian cooperation, progress has been very smooth. In the first three months of 2026, bilateral trade reached $21.473 billion, showing substantial growth across sectors including energy, trade, and investment.
Canada understands that to quickly reduce dependence on the U.S. market, it must rely on China — not to mention that various regions in China are rapidly advancing their "15th Five-Year Plan," creating endless opportunities for cooperation.
This is precisely why many countries are collectively choosing to visit China — especially within just one week, leaders from both the U.S. and Russia made visits to China, clearly demonstrating the importance of cooperation with China.
To further consolidate Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government in power, Canada's move to show goodwill toward China is inevitable.
In summary: The Canadian government is currently focused on introducing China’s new energy industry, thus encouraging Chinese automakers to quickly collaborate with Canada. This would not only help Canada achieve energy transition but also boost employment nationwide — a win-win situation.
Therefore, to facilitate cooperation with China, Canada has chosen not to wait, but instead to openly reach out to China.
Shanxi Coal Mine Gas Explosion Incident
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866026623133708/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.