Overview
- Prime Minister Mark Carney began talks with President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, pitching a new strategic partnership focused on agriculture, energy and finance.
- Canada and China signed an energy cooperation memorandum that establishes ministerial dialogue every 12 to 18 months but includes no commitments for Chinese purchases of Canadian oil or LNG.
- A joint economic and trade road map signals openness to two-way investment and underscores working within WTO rules to avoid future unilateral measures.
- The core dispute remains unresolved as Canada’s 100% tariff on Chinese EVs and China’s retaliatory duties on canola, pork and seafood stay in place, with officials calling negotiations productive.
- Domestic pressures frame the talks, with Ontario Premier Doug Ford opposing any rollback of EV tariffs as prairie leaders seek agricultural relief and Saskatchewan’s Scott Moe joins the delegation.