Canada PM expresses hope to improve ties with China amid US tariff pressure: reports

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that he's hoping to reset expectations in Canada's relationship with China and looking forward for meeting Chinese leader during the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea, according to media reports on Monday.

Speaking to media on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Monday, Carney pointed out that China is Canada's second-largest trading partner, the second-largest economy in the world and one of the most influential nations on the world stage, according to the CBC.

"Relationships rebuild over time when they have been … when they have changed… And so we have a lot of areas on which we can build," Carney said, noting that relations are starting from a low point and there's room for substantial improvement, per the CBC report.

Carney mentioned his meeting at the UN General Assembly with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, calling it "start of a broader discussion."

"So I look forward to the meeting with the president," Carney said.

The Reuters highlighted that under the US tariff pressure, Canada is "struggling to reduce its overwhelming dependence on the United States and redefine its foreign policy to pursue new markets."

Carney said he hasn't been in contact with the US president since US terminated trade talks last Thursday, according to the Politico.

The New York Times said Canadian's move signaling "a pivot to Asia and a potential breakthrough in ties."

On October 17, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with the visiting Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand in Beijing, with both sides reaffirming willingness to enhance dialogue, exchanges and cooperation in various fields.

Anand said Canada now views Beijing as a strategic partner in a dangerous world, according to a Global News report on October 23.

Anand told The Canadian Press that a strategic partnership with China means going beyond allowing individual irritants to strain the entire relationship and permitting Canada to advance its economic and security interests.

Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told Global Times in a previous interview last week that the key for the stable and sustainable advancement of China-Canada relations hinges on Canada's capacity to preserve its autonomy amid US pressure, diminish its over-reliance on the US, avoid having a short-sighted China policy, and embrace a more strategic and forward-thinking approach.