Canada’s Foreign Minister Meets Chinese Counterpart During Beijing Visit
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Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says she discussed trade irritants and areas of cooperation during a meeting with her Chinese counterpart in Beijing on Oct. 17.
Anand and Wang discussed trade issues of “respective sensitivity,” including agriculture and agri-food products, such as Canadian canola, seafood, and meat; and Chinese products like electric vehicles (EVs), Global Affairs Canada said in an Oct. 17 readout of the meeting.
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The meeting comes amid escalating trade tensions between the two countries, following Canada’s imposition of tariffs on Chinese EVs and metals and Beijing’s countermeasures in the form of duties on Canadian canola and other agricultural products.
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Canada last year imposed 100 percent tariffs on Chinese-made EVs and 25 percent tariffs on aluminum and steel products, measures Ottawa said were necessary to protect domestic industries from Chinese “non-market practices.” China retaliated in March by imposing 100 percent tariffs on Canadian canola oil, oil cakes, and pea imports, as well as 25 percent tariffs on aquatic products and pork.
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The readout does not indicate whether the countries reached a deal on tariffs, but notes the ministers agreed that “regular and candid communication is essential to build trust, enhance cooperation and address respective concerns.”
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“Both ministers reaffirmed a shared commitment to engage at all levels to ensure the relationship and strategic partnership continue to move forward constructively and pragmatically,” reads the statement. “They identified key areas where Canada and China can work together constructively, including the environment, energy and health.”
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Global Affairs says the meeting built on previous engagements between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Chinese Premier Li Qiang, during which they agreed to “regularize” high-level talks. Carney had spoken with Li by phone earlier this year in his first conversation with Beijing since becoming prime minister.
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Carney said on Sept. 23 that as Beijing-Ottawa talks “deepen,” he expects to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping “at the appropriate time.”
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Diplomatic relations between the countries have been deteriorating since 2018, when China arbitrarily detained Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig in apparent retaliation for the detention of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver. Revelations of China’s interference in Canada’s democracy in recent years, and Ottawa’s condemnation of Beijing’s escalating transnational repression of dissidents in Canada have further strained relations.
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Global Affairs said Anand and Wang also discussed how the partnership can be “renewed and refocused to meet shared objectives in light of the evolving bilateral and global context.”
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The Chinese readout of the meeting describes Anand’s visit as a step toward a “restart” in Canada-China relations, which it said demonstrates the two countries can cooperate despite their “different systems and paths.”
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Carney has said his government will seek to expand commercial relations with Beijing due to China’s position as Canada’s second-largest trading partner, but that any expanded cooperation will be in ways that are “consistent with our values and are in the interests of Canadians.”
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He has pointed to potential collaboration with China on areas like net-zero goals, citing Beijing’s advancements in green technology. The idea has been criticized by the Conservatives, who cite China’s dubious environmental record.
The Conservatives have also called for a strong response to Beijing’s targeting of Canada’s agricultural products, describing China’s tariffs as an “unjustified attack on our farmers.”
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