Canada seeks to reduce dependence on the US as its leader visits China to rebuild ties

Prime Minister Mark Carney is visiting China for the first time in nearly a decade to repair relations and support efforts to diversify Canada's trade away from the United States.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is traveling to China this week in a bid to rebuild bilateral relations and broaden Canada's international partnerships. The visit is the first by a Canadian leader to China in nearly ten years and comes as Ottawa seeks to reduce economic reliance on the United States. Carney has said Canada aims to double non-U.S. exports over the next decade. He will remain in China through Saturday and then travel to Qatar before attending the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. Key facts: - Mark Carney is visiting China for the first time in nearly a decade, with the trip framed as part of a broader push to diversify trade partners. - The government has announced a goal to double Canada’s non-U.S. exports in the next ten years, citing global trade disruption and recent U.S. tariffs. - Canada and the U.S. have both applied tariffs tied to trade disputes; Canada has imposed a 100% tariff on electric vehicles and other duties on steel and aluminum, while China has applied tariffs on some Canadian agricultural and seafood exports. - Diplomatic strains between Canada and China stemmed from the 2018 detention of a Huawei executive at U.S. request and China’s subsequent arrest of two Canadians; those cases were resolved in 2021. - Chinese state media and the Chinese Foreign Ministry publicly welcomed Carney’s visit as an opportunity to consolidate improving momentum in bilateral ties. Summary: Carney’s trip is presented by Canadian officials as an effort to reopen economic and diplomatic channels with China while reducing dependence on a single trading partner. He intends to press for renewed cooperation on trade amid wider global disruptions, and his itinerary includes subsequent stops in Qatar and attendance at the World Economic Forum; a visit to India is also expected later in the year.