Canadian Prime Minister announces agreement with China and establishes new partnership: tariffs, electric vehicles, visa-free ...

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced in Beijing on Friday that an agreement had been reached with China on reciprocal tariffs and the import of electric vehicles. This visit is seen as the beginning of a new partnership between the two countries after years of tension.

According to a report from AFP in Beijing on Friday, Carney said during a press conference held during his visit to Beijing: "Canada and China have reached a preliminary but historically significant trade agreement aimed at eliminating trade barriers and reducing tariffs." This is the first visit to China by a Canadian government leader in eight years.

Carney also announced that Canada will allow 49,000 Chinese-made electric vehicles to enter the Canadian market at a preferential tariff of 6.1%, returning to the level before the implementation of retaliatory measures.

At the press conference in Beijing, Carney said: "I am pleased to announce that during today's meeting, China has committed to ensuring that Canadian citizens traveling to China are visa-free." However, he did not specify whether this measure applies only to tourists.

These statements reflect the arrival of a new partnership between Mr. Carney and China, as described at the start of the talks. The two countries had long-standing disputes and now face pressure from the United States.

Mr. Carney said: "I am very pleased that we were able to advance a new strategic partnership."

China mentioned that during the Asia-Pacific Summit in South Korea last October, both sides opened a "new chapter".

At that time, China extended an invitation to Mr. Carney to visit China. The discussions in South Korea, which Mr. Carney called a "turning point," paved the way for the recent diplomatic warming in China this week.

Turning a page on deteriorated relations

China said on Friday that since then, exchanges between the two governments to "restore and restart cooperation in all fields [...]" have yielded "positive results."

"I am very happy about this."

Mr. Carney arrived in China on Wednesday to turn the page on the deterioration of relations and promote trade exchanges.

In 2018, Sino-Canadian relations deteriorated sharply: Canadian authorities arrested a top executive of Huawei at the request of the United States …

Since the summer of 2024, Ottawa and Beijing have been in conflict in the field of trade: Canada imposed additional taxes on Chinese electric vehicles and steel, while China took countermeasures against Canadian agricultural products, including canola, an oilseed crop used for food and biofuels, and Canada is one of the main producers of this crop.

According to Mr. Carney's remarks to reporters on Friday: "Canada expects China to reduce tariffs on Canadian canola before March 1."

Regarding Canadian imports of Chinese electric vehicles, despite concerns within Canada's automotive industry, Mr. Carney expressed hope that within the next three years, "massive investments from China" would create jobs in Canada.

Facing Trump

Mr. Carney reiterated in Beijing that Canada must reduce its reliance on the United States, its neighboring country and largest trading partner, whose trade volume far exceeds that of China.

Since January 2025, when President Trump returned to the White House, both China and Canada have suffered from his radical tariff policies.

Mr. Carney pledged that by 2035, Canada's exports to countries other than the United States will double.

On Friday, during the talks, Mr. Carney stated that the new partnership between the two countries will help "improve the multilateral system, which has faced severe challenges in recent years."

He said, "We focus on areas where historic progress can be made: agriculture, energy, and finance. These areas will allow us to achieve results the fastest."

China emphasized: "A healthy and stable Sino-Canadian relationship is in the common interest of both countries, and it is beneficial to world peace, stability, and prosperity."

Source: rfi

Original: toutiao.com/article/1854478356494792/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author himself.