BEIJING — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Beijing this week and is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang as Ottawa seeks a reset in Canada-China relations after nearly a decade of political and trade strain, Jan. 15, 2026.
Officials on both sides say trade frictions — including Chinese restrictions affecting Canadian canola and Canada’s tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles — will dominate the talks, alongside security and human rights issues that have complicated Canada-China relations for years.
Canada-China relations: why this trip matters now
The visit is the first by a Canadian prime minister to China since 2017 and follows months of renewed diplomatic contact after a Carney-Xi encounter in South Korea last year, according to reporting by Reuters. Beijing’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, called the visit a “pivotal” moment as the two countries try to “recalibrate” ties.
For Ottawa, the timing is also driven by economics. Carney’s government has been looking to diversify export markets as Canada faces uncertainty in its U.S. relationship. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand told reporters in Beijing that Canada aims to “double non-U.S. trade over the next 10 years.”
Trade irritants at the center of Canada-China relations talks
Chinese countermeasures hit Canadian farm and food products after Ottawa moved in 2024 to impose steep tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. A Canadian Finance Department backgrounder described the EV measure as a 100% surtax on Chinese-made EVs, effective Oct. 1, 2024.
Reuters reported that Canada is pressing for progress on canola access, while Canadian officials say they expect movement but not necessarily a full resolution during this trip. Carney has also met with executives from major Chinese companies as part of the push to stabilize Canada-China relations through commercial engagement.
Continuity check: the decade of strain behind today’s Canada-China relations reset
The relationship sharply deteriorated after Canada detained Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver in 2018 on a U.S. extradition request, a case Reuters chronicled in a detailed timeline.
Days later, China detained two Canadians — Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor — a dispute that became a defining scar in Canada-China relations, as Reuters noted when rallies marked 1,000 days of their detention.
Tensions later expanded to allegations of foreign interference. Reuters reported in 2023 that Canada launched a public inquiry into alleged foreign meddling, and the inquiry heard evidence in 2024 that Canada’s spy agency assessed China interfered in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 elections.
What comes next
The Canadian prime minister’s office said the trip is designed to “build strategic partnerships” and elevate engagement on trade, energy, agriculture and international security. Chinese officials, meanwhile, have publicly framed the meetings as a chance for “strategic guidance” to improve Canada-China relations.
Whether this reset holds will hinge on what follows the photo ops: measurable movement on tariffs and market access, guardrails on security-sensitive sectors, and a willingness to keep difficult issues on the agenda even as both capitals try to turn the page.
Sources: Reuters reporting on China calling the visit pivotal; AP report on Carney’s Beijing trip and goals; Prime Minister’s Office trip announcement; Chinese Foreign Ministry briefing on the visit; Canada Finance backgrounder on the EV surtax.
Earlier context: Reuters timeline on Meng Wanzhou case; Reuters on the “two Michaels” milestone; Reuters on Canada launching a foreign-interference inquiry; Reuters on inquiry testimony about election interference.
