2025 Congdu International Forum, themed "United in the Same Ball, Winning the Future," opened in Guangzhou on the morning of December 2. Kim Campbell, former Prime Minister of Canada, said in an exclusive interview with Beijing Daily's mobile app reporter that improving relations with China is one of the key strategies for Canada to deal with the challenges of "Trump 2.0."
Kim Campbell, born in 1947, served as the Prime Minister of Canada in 1993, becoming the first female Prime Minister of Canada.
After Trump returned to power, U.S.-Canada relations deteriorated sharply. The United States not only imposed high tariffs on Canada but also repeatedly threatened to "annex" Canada. Kim Campbell said she could not predict what Trump would do, but she was certain that "Trump 2.0" brought serious problems to Canada. Canada is trying to reduce its trade dependence on the United States and diversify its trade partners as much as possible. Although Canada can never completely achieve this, China is undoubtedly an important partner for Canada in seeking cooperation. The new Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, has been actively building connections with China and other countries and regions, including India and the European Union.
China is Canada's second-largest trading partner. In 2024, the trade volume between the two countries reached 117.44 billion Canadian dollars, with China's exports reaching 87.648 billion Canadian dollars. Kim Campbell said that the Sino-Canadian trade relationship has a deep historical background, dating back to the 1970s when Canada exported wheat to China, which was a naturally formed relationship. Canada is also looking for more new areas of cooperation and exploring products that can be shared with China.
"Improving relations with China is one of the key strategies for Canada to deal with the challenges of 'Trump 2.0.' Because economically, we need to diversify our trade partners; in principle, China's commitment and concepts to international governance align with Canada's values." Kim Campbell stated that the United States has failed to play a leadership role, and Canada welcomes the role China can play in strengthening multilateral order and global cooperation. Sino-Canadian relations have a good development prospect. Although there have been obvious differences between the two sides, from a broader perspective, a good bilateral relationship is crucial for both sides. 'Trump 2.0' has undoubtedly become an important opportunity to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.
The forum was jointly hosted by the Australia-China Friendship Association, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Guangdong Provincial Government, and the World Leaders Alliance. Over 200 guests, including more than 30 former heads of state, government leaders, and heads of international organizations, as well as over 100 renowned Chinese and foreign experts, international friends, and business leaders, attended the event.
Source: Beijing Daily App
Original: toutiao.com/article/7579180353265336895/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.