Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is seen during a fireside chat at the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on October 26, 2025. Photo: VCG

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

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Monday, Carney noted that China is Canada's second-largest trading partner, the world's second-largest economy, and one of the most influential countries globally, according to 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, adding that relations are starting from a low point and that there is significant room for improvement, according to CBC. 

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

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

Carney's latest remarks came about 10 days after the China-Canada foreign ministers' meeting. 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 their willingness to enhance dialogue, exchanges and cooperation in various fields. 

According to a Global News report on October 23, Anand said Canada now views Beijing as a strategic partner in an increasingly dangerous world. She also told Canadian Press that such a partnership means not allowing individual irritants to strain the entire relationship, enabling Canada to advance its economic and security interests.

Huang Zhong, deputy dean of the Academy of International and Regional Studies at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, told the Global Times on Tuesday that despite the thawing trend in China-Canada relations, the prospects for improving China-Canada relations hinge not on Canada's rhetoric, but on its actions." 

In the economic and trade sphere, for instance, whether Canada would lift tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and open its doors to investments from Chinese high-tech firms, Huang added. 

On the other hand, media analysts also noticed the strained relations between Canada and US. US President Donald Trump has recently terminated the trade talks with Canada and threatening Canada with an additional 10 percent tariff. 

Carney said he hasn't been in contact with the US president since the termination of trade talks last Thursday, according to Politico. The US president also claimed on Monday that he doesn't anticipate meeting with Carney "for a while," despite both leaders will attend the APEC meeting in South Korea, the Bloomberg reported. 

Reuters highlighted that under the US tariff pressure, Canada is "struggling to reduce its heavy dependence on the United States and redefine its foreign policy to pursue new markets." The New York Times said Canadian's latest moves as "a pivot to Asia and a potential breakthrough in ties."

In 2024, China remained as Canada's second-largest trading partner, second-largest source of imports, and second-largest export market, all following the US, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Statistics from the Canadian government shows that in 2024, China-Canada two-way merchandise trade totaled $118.7 billion, with Canadian merchandise exports to China coming to $29.9 billion, while merchandise imports were $88.8 billion. 

According to Huang, the key for the stable and sustainable development of China-Canada relations depends on whether Canada can maintain its autonomy amid US pressure, its ability to reduce over-reliance on the US, avoiding short-sighted China policy, and embrace a more strategic and forward-thinking approach.

Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, believed that the restoration of a robust, long-term China-Canada relationship demands more concrete and pragmatic actions from the Canadian side.