Prime Minister Mark Carney’s long-delayed meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping finally happened Friday at the APEC summit in South Korea, a session Carney himself called “long overdue.” The encounter began with Xi inviting the Canadian leader to visit Beijing, a gesture Carney described as welcome. He noted the two nations share “a long history of cooperation, engagement and trade,” and reminded reporters it was the first time in eight years the leaders had met.Carney pointed to a recent thaw between Ottawa and Beijing, referencing his earlier meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in New York and renewed dialogue among ministers. .The meeting came just a day after Xi’s sit-down with U.S. President Donald Trump, where the two appeared to make progress on the global trade standoff.According to a PMO press release, Carney and Xi called their own meeting a “turning point,” agreeing to reset the relationship in a “pragmatic and constructive” manner.The Carney government has been trying to patch up ties with China, sending Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe to Beijing in recent months..No timeline has been set for Carney’s own visit, but he said he looked forward to deepening talks.“It’s through this constructive and pragmatic dialogue that we’ll address current issues, seize opportunities, and build a more sustainable and inclusive international system,” he said.Chinese state media quoted Xi as saying China was ready to work with Canada to “promote the return of bilateral relations to a healthy, stable and sustainable track as soon as possible.”.The PMO said both sides agreed to move quickly on trade disputes and “respective sensitivities” over agriculture, seafood and electric vehicles.Relations remain strained by years of bad blood, from China’s tariffs on Canadian canola and pulses, retaliation for Ottawa’s 100% levy on Chinese EVs, to accusations of Beijing’s election interference and harassment of Chinese-Canadian communities.The 2017 arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, and China’s subsequent detention of Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, froze dialogue entirely. The last formal leader-level meeting was in 2017, when Justin Trudeau’s attempt to launch free trade talks with Beijing collapsed.This week’s encounter signaled both sides want to turn the page, though after years of mistrust, few expect a quick fix.
