Ottawa is hopeful that Prime Minister Mark Carney will have a chance to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping during an upcoming summit in South Korea, a senior Canadian government official revealed to the press on Thursday. Carney, emphasizing the importance of reestablishing a strong relationship with Beijing following years of strained ties, is scheduled to attend an APEC summit in Seoul.
In a statement last week, Carney expressed his anticipation of engaging with high-ranking Chinese officials within the next month. A senior government official, speaking at a briefing, mentioned that preparations are being made with the expectation of a potential meeting between Carney and Xi at the APEC summit.
Relations between Canada and China have been tense, with China imposing preliminary anti-dumping duties on Canadian canola imports in August, in response to Canada’s decision to impose a 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicle imports. Discussions regarding these disputes took place between senior officials from both countries last Friday, as confirmed by Ottawa, although no immediate resolution was announced.
