Carney leaves Xi meeting without tariff relief

Prime Minister Mark Carney concluded a high-profile meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday without securing concrete commitments on trade barriers.

Source: Facebook

Prime Minister Mark Carney concluded a high-profile meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday without securing concrete commitments on trade barriers.

This prompted renewed criticism from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre regarding the government’s management of Canada’s international relationships.

Carney characterized the bilateral meeting as a “turning point” in the long-strained Canada–China relationship. He stated that both sides agreed to instruct officials to work “at pace” on unresolved issues, including access for Canadian exporters.

“This meeting today is long overdue,” Carney told reporters after the session. “We now have a turning point in the relationship… that creates opportunities for Canadian families, for Canadian businesses and Canadian workers.”

However, no progress was announced on specific economic matters, such as Chinese tariffs affecting Canadian agricultural and seafood exports, including the $5 Billion Canola industry. There was also no mention of a timetable for resolving trade irritants or removing remaining bans.

The meeting, held during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea, marked the first official bilateral between a Canadian prime minister and Xi since 2017. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Xi invited Carney to visit China next year, though no date has been confirmed.

China’s foreign ministry described the meeting as a step toward “recovery” in bilateral relations. “Through the joint efforts of both sides, the China-Canada relationship is beginning to recover and improve,” said ministry spokesperson Mao Ning in a post on X. “China will work with Canada to bring bilateral relations back to the right track… and deliver more benefits to the two peoples.”

Carney’s political opponents swiftly criticized the lack of results.

“Mark Carney fails to get Chinese tariffs off Canadian farmers & fish harvesters,” Poilievre wrote on X shortly after the meeting. “Bad enough to come home empty handed from his 8-day Asian junket, but it’s worse: new Indian tariffs hit Canadian peas. The more he travels, the more tariffs we pay. Some master negotiator.”

Relations between Ottawa and Beijing have been strained in recent years due to diplomatic and trade tensions, including China’s detention of two Canadians and restrictions on Canadian exports.

Carney has advocated for closer engagement with Indo-Pacific nations as part of a broader strategy to diversify trade amidst growing uncertainty with the United States. His meeting with Xi concluded a series of bilateral meetings with leaders from Asian states.