Canada, China pledge to deepen ties, strengthen multilateral cooperation

OTTAWA: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, expanding economic cooperation and jointly promoting multilateralism amid growing global challenges.

During high-level talks in Canada, Prime Minister Carney expressed Ottawa’s readiness to work closely with Beijing to maintain regular high-level exchanges and deepen cooperation in key sectors including energy, finance, agriculture and fisheries.

He said Canada viewed a stable and constructive relationship with China as important for economic growth and international cooperation, adding that both countries could benefit significantly from enhanced engagement across a wide range of fields.

Carney also voiced support for China’s hosting of the upcoming APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and said Canada was prepared to work with Beijing to uphold multilateralism and contribute positively to global economic development, peace and stability.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the development of stronger China-Canada relations served the interests of both countries and aligned with the expectations of the international community.

He noted that there were no fundamental conflicts of interest between Beijing and Ottawa and emphasized that bilateral cooperation possessed enormous potential.

“Facts have proven that a better China-Canada relationship serves the interests of both countries, meets the expectations of all parties and represents the right choice for Canada,” Wang said.

The Chinese foreign minister stressed the importance of safeguarding multilateralism, international law and strategic autonomy while supporting free trade and an open global economy.

During separate talks with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, Wang Yi said bilateral relations had entered a new phase of development under the strategic guidance of both countries’ leadership.

He noted that exchanges and cooperation across various sectors had resumed and that major economic and trade concerns between the two countries had been addressed through dialogue and engagement.

Wang expressed China’s willingness to work with Canada to further advance the China-Canada strategic partnership and prepare for Prime Minister Carney’s forthcoming visit to China to attend the APEC summit.

He said both sides should ensure that bilateral relations continue moving forward on a stable, healthy and sustainable trajectory.

Reflecting on past fluctuations in bilateral relations, Wang said the most important lesson learned was the need for mutual respect, strategic autonomy, constructive engagement and win-win cooperation.

He reiterated China’s readiness to deepen collaboration with Canada in areas including energy, finance and law enforcement cooperation.

Wang also invited Canada to participate as the country of honour at the China International Import Expo, highlighting opportunities for greater trade and investment.

For her part, Anita Anand reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to constructive engagement with China and reiterated Ottawa’s adherence to the One-China policy.

She said Canada attached great importance to relations with Beijing and had set a target of increasing Canadian exports to China by 50 per cent by 2030.

As a key outcome of the meetings, both countries agreed to establish a strategic dialogue mechanism between their foreign ministers.

The two sides also decided to restart political and security consultations between their foreign ministries, as well as revive high-level dialogues on national security and rule of law issues.

Observers view the agreements as a significant step towards rebuilding trust and expanding cooperation between the two countries after several years of diplomatic tensions, with both sides now signalling a desire to place relations on a more stable and pragmatic footing.