Mark Carney travels to Beijing to seek thaw and new markets with China

Prime Minister Mark Carney will arrive in Beijing for a three-day state visit during which he is scheduled to meet President Xi Jinping and seek to repair Canada’s relationship with China while finding new markets for Canadian goods. Canadian officials say Mr. Carney is under pressure from actions by President Trump that have strained U.S.-Canada ties and has spent substantial time overseas seeking customers beyond the United States.

Diplomatic relations with China ruptured in 2018 after Canada arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou and China detained two Canadian citizens; the fallout has included high retaliatory tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and on Canadian canola and other agricultural products. Canadian and Chinese officials have been negotiating reductions in those levies, but two officials briefed on the talks said no agreement had been reached before Mr.

Carney left Ottawa and that a deal may not be reached during the visit. The officials said discussions have centered on cutting tariff rates to about 50 percent or lower rather than eliminating them. Mr. Carney is travelling with cabinet ministers responsible for industry, agriculture and energy and is expected to meet Premier Li Qiang on Thursday, Mr.

Xi on Friday, and then travel to Qatar on Saturday. Broader strains remain: Canadian security services allege Chinese meddling and repression directed at people in Canada, human rights groups have urged Mr.

Key Topics

World, Mark Carney, China, Canada, Xi Jinping, Canola Oil