Chinese Ambassador to Canada Wang Di gives an exclusive interview to Canada's largest news agency, The Canadian Press, at the Chinese Embassy on April 21, 2025. Photo: Chinese Embassy in Canada

Chinese Ambassador to Canada Wang Di gave an exclusive interview to Canada's largest news agency, The Canadian Press, at the Chinese Embassy on Monday. Wang stated that China's countermeasures on some of the Canadian products is a response to the unilateral tariffs that Canada imposed on Chinese products, urging Canada to respect the facts and the WTO rules and rectify its wrongdoing immediately, according to a report released by Chinese Embassy in Canada on Wednesday.

Wang also expressed hope that the Canadian government would listen carefully and earnestly to the voices of the people and reflect on the policy it has taken toward China in the past few years. "China is Canada's opportunity, not Canada's threat," said Wang. "We welcome Canada to ride on the fast train of China's economy, and we are sincere in our readiness to share the opportunities brought by China's high-quality development."

Regarding the inquiry for comment on China's imposition of retaliatory tariffs on canola and animal products, it's really a hit for Western Canada, and at the same time, Western Canada has closer economic ties with China, Wang responded, stating that last year, the Canadian government, in disregard of multiple rounds of dissuasion and strong opposition from the Chinese side, insisted on imposing unilateral tariffs on Chinese EVs and steel and aluminum products. That is why, in September last year, China started an anti-discrimination investigation. The result of the investigation was that Canada's unilateral tariffs are discriminatory in essence.

He emphasized that China's countermeasures are not permanent. They can be adjusted in light with the adjustments and changes of the Canadian policies. "So we hope that Canada can take measures to rectify its wrongdoings as soon as possible."

Wang emphasized that as for the trade and economic cooperation and relationship between China and Western Canada, China has always been attaching great importance to that. "We look forward and hope that the practical cooperation between Western Canada and China can enjoy a greater development in the future, and China is positive on that. We believe there will be a lot of opportunities and the potential is huge," he added.

In response to a question about why the Chinese Embassy in Canada used the word "bullying" to talk about what America is doing and whether the US is bullying other countries, Wang stated that recently, the US, out of its selfish interests, has imposed multiple rounds of unjustified tariffs on many other countries, and that is typical unilateralism and protectionism. 

Wang noted that the US has openly announced that it plans to annex another country, infringing upon the sovereignty and territorial integrity of that country. That is in violation of the internationally recognized principle of respecting other countries' territorial integrity and sovereignty. And that is a typical hegemonic and bullying act. And what the United States has been saying and doing fully demonstrates that the United States is a hegemon that believes in the law of the jungle. And this will find no support in the world, and the US will not get its way.

"We have taken notice that faced with the US unilateral bullying, Canada has not backed down. Instead, Canada is standing on the right side of the history, on the right side of international fairness and justice," Wang continued, further noting that China has also made resolute countermeasures against the unjustified unilateral US tariffs. 

Wang noted that as far as he knows, China and Canada are the only two countries in the world that have taken concrete and real countermeasures against the US tariffs. China does this not only for the sake of protecting its own legitimate and lawful rights and interests, but also for the greater good of the international community. We are fighting not only for China and Canada, but also for the international community. Because we want to avoid the situation where the humanity is brought back to a world of the law of the jungle where the strong prey on the weak again, said Wang.

Wang stated that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the United Nations and the 30th anniversary of the World Trade Organization. China is ready to take this opportunity to work with Canada and all the other countries to firmly uphold the UN-centered international system and the WTO-centered multilateral trading regime, to reject any regressive practices in the world, to advance economic globalization and multilateralism along the right direction, so that we can provide more certainty and stability to the world economy and global trade.

When discussing what Canada and China working together would look like defending the UN Charter, and the WTO, Wang highlighted that China has been communicating with Canada on the current situation. And I myself have had multiple rounds of communication with Canadian departments on this issue. And I have also sensed the positive willingness of the Canadian side to strengthen communication with China on this issue.

The Canadian Press also mentioned that Mark Carney claimed the greatest threat to Canada is China, and we saw him repeat that in Niagara Falls. The Canadian Press inquired how China can work past that to build collaboration. In response, Wang said "what threat Canada is faced with, and whether China is Canada's threat, the answer is very clear in the calls and voices of the people of Canada."  

He further noted, "I hope that the Canadian government can listen carefully and earnestly to the voices of the people, reflect upon the policy it has taken toward China in the past few years, and work in the same direction with China to really advance practical cooperation between the two countries because this truly serves the shared interests of our two peoples."

Wang emphasized that China is Canada's opportunity, not Canada's threat. If China and Canada can earnestly uphold the principle of correct perception, mutual respect and seeking common ground while reserving differences, the two countries can reinforce each other and make each other better.

In the field of economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, Wang said that China and Canada enjoy high complementarities in terms of resource endowments and economic structures. We have great potential in conducting trade with each other. China has been Canada's second largest trading partner for many years. According to China's numbers, last year, China-Canada trade reached $93 billion and Canada exported $46.6 billion to China, a year-on-year increase of 6.1%. And that also represented the first time in many years that Canada is running a surplus with China in its trade.

However, Wang emphasized, "we don't believe that surplus is unfair to China. And we don't believe that China is losing just because it has a deficit with Canada."

When asked about his views on the development of China-Canada relations in the short-term future, Wang expressed being more optimistic about China-Canada relationship now. In particular, the voice of so many Canadian people, Canadian businesses, industries and Canadian media calling for stronger practical cooperation with China is much stronger than when he arrived. "I hope that Canada will work together with us," he added.

Global Times