VANCOUVER — Premier David Eby will lead a trade mission to China from June 27 to July 3 to strengthen commercial ties with British Columbia’s second-largest trading partner and promote the province’s forestry, energy, tourism and agriculture sectors.The six-day trip to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou is part of the BC NDP government’s "Look West strategy" to reduce reliance on U.S. markets amid what Eby described as “unjustified tariffs” from the United States and rising gas prices linked to the war in Iran.“Because unjustified tariffs from the U.S. and gas price increases from the war in Iran are hurting B.C. businesses and families, we are prioritizing diverse relationships with multiple trading partners to support good jobs and protect people in B.C.,” Eby said in a statement Tuesday.“China is the world’s second-largest economy and is our second-largest export market for B.C. goods and services. Encouraging tourism while selling more B.C. wood, agricultural products and energy will mean more money for families and more money to pay for the services British Columbians deserve.”The announcement comes as the NDP government faces ongoing scrutiny over its China-related dealings. In early May, former Vancouver mayor Kennedy Stewart alleged that a sitting provincial cabinet minister is under RCMP investigation for collaborating with the Chinese government. Eby rejected the claims in the legislature, calling them “simply not true” and stating he had received no briefings from the RCMP or CSIS on any such matter involving his caucus..Separately, the government has drawn criticism for awarding a contract last year to build four new large BC Ferries vessels to the state-owned China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards.Davie Shipyard CEO James Davies said the procurement criteria heavily favoured the lowest price, making it impossible for Canadian yards to compete.The decision generated significant controversy last summer when federal Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland sent a letter to Victoria officials expressing “great consternation and disappointment,” citing geopolitical concerns, security risks, and the lack of Canadian content in the procurement. Premier Eby pushed back publicly on the Jas Johal Show, telling Ottawa to “mind its own business.”.The Eby government is also under pressure over its fiscal management. The 2026 budget projects a record $13.3-billion deficit for the coming fiscal year, with provincial spending having more than doubled since the NDP took power and total debt forecast to rise sharply over the next three years.Opposition critics have described the trajectory as a “fiscal disaster” that has delivered little improvement in core services despite record borrowing.Business leaders have separately raised alarms about regulatory and legal uncertainty in the province.A May 2026 survey by the Business Council of British Columbia found that 98% of senior executives and decision-makers are “very concerned” about the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, also known as DRIPA, applying across all provincial laws, while the same share said the legislation is not delivering on its original promise of greater investment certainty.Nearly three-quarter of respondents said they are decreasing investment plans in B.C., 73% reported increased time, cost, complexity or uncertainty in permitting, and 41% said access to external financing has become more difficult.“The desire to work with Indigenous communities to create prosperity for all remains strong but the message from business leaders is clear: DRIPA isn’t working,” said BCBC President and CEO Laura Jones..China was the destination for nearly $11 billion worth of B.C. goods exports in 2025, representing almost 20% of the province’s total commodity exports. It is also the second-largest market for B.C. agrifood exports.The mission builds on more than 30 years of sister-province relations with Guangdong, first signed in 1995, and longstanding collaboration in sustainable forest management, wood construction and clean energy.“British Columbia is Canada’s West Coast gateway to the world, offering strategic access to global markets through world-class ports, airports and infrastructure,” said Jobs and Economic Growth Minister Ravi Kahlon.“Through our 'Look West strategy,' this trade mission to China will showcase B.C.’s strengths in forestry, energy, tourism and agriculture. By reducing our reliance on U.S. markets through diversified trade partnerships, we will create good jobs and prosperity for all British Columbians.”The "Look West strategy" sets a goal of doubling B.C. exports to non-U.S. markets over 10 years. The province maintains trade and investment representatives in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai.
