Carney is on a global sales pitchpublished at 02:08 GMT
02:08 GMT
Image source, Reuters
In large part, it comes down to business. This visit – the first one by a Canadian prime minister since 2017 – is part of Mark Carney’s global sales pitch for Canada in the face of US tariffs.
In response to those tensions with its largest trading partner, Carney plans to double Canada’s non-US exports in a decade, alongside his ambitions to make the country – rich in natural resources like oil and gas – a major player in energy.
Both Canada and China want to reinvigorate their relationship, boosting collaboration in areas like energy and business investment.
China, with a massive consumer base and a significant demand for energy as well as agriculture products, is an attractive economic partner. While far behind the US, China is Canada’s second largest trade partner.
The focus on trade is made clear looking at who is joining Carney on the visit – Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, naturally, as well as Energy Minister Tim Hodgson, Industry Minister Melanie Joly, Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald, and International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu.
Carney did manage to make some progress on Thursday, agreeing the two countries wil have further talks on energy development.