On 15 January 2026, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney met with key Chinese officials in Beijing, signalling a major move to boost ties between the two nations. This trip, the first by a Canadian PM to China in eight years, featured talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Premier Li Qiang, plus a planned sit-down with President Xi Jinping the next day, on 16 January. Officials from both sides pledged to ramp up dialogue, foster mutual trust, sidestep outside meddling, and expand collaboration in a range of areas.
Features of the meet and future anticipations:
During the meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, he hailed Carney’s trip as a pivotal milestone and a fresh turning point for the relationship between the two countries, stressing the importance of handling disagreements with respect while prioritising shared advantages in an increasingly complex world. Anita Anand, Canada’s Foreign Minister, who joined Carney, expressed her nation’s intent to revive conversations across various sectors and push forward a stronger strategic alliance. In talks with Premier Li Qiang, several pacts were inked, covering enhancements to tourism, reaffirmed efforts to tackle crime, and prospects for progress in energy collaboration, with Li praising the exchanges as a promising new chapter that points to brighter prospects ahead. The anticipated session with President Xi Jinping on Friday is poised to offer key direction for the evolving partnership, drawing on their encouraging interaction in South Korea back in October 2025.
Tensions and turnarounds in relations:
Strains in the relationship intensified during the 2010s, especially during Justin Trudeau’s time as prime minister. The 2018 detention of Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou in Canada, at Washington’s behest, prompted Beijing to hold two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor dubbed the ‘Two Michaels’ in what seemed like a tit-for-tat move, souring connections until their freedom in 2021. Further rifts emerged from worries about human rights, claims of meddling in foreign affairs, and commercial clashes such as restrictions on Canadian canola exports. Things reached a nadir, with no top-level Canadian visits to China after 2017. A turnaround kicked off in 2025 under Carney’s leadership, shifting to a more practical economic approach to spread out trade risks given shaky US relations. China still ranks as Canada’s number two trade ally, with joint work now covering green initiatives, learning exchanges, and defence matters. This year’s trip in 2026 highlights a push to refresh and steady the partnership amid a shifting global landscape.