Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe (left) will travel with Prime Minister Mark Carney on a trade mission to China. Photo: the Canadian Press

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said he is "pleased to join Prime Minister Carney" on the Canadian leader's China visit and he believes the meetings with Chinese leader will serve as an opportunity to recalibrate the relationship between Canada and China, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) on local time Monday.

"I am pleased to join Prime Minister Carney as we advance interests that are important to Canadians," Moe is quoted as saying in a news release, according to the CBC report.

Saskatchewan is the largest canola producing province of Canada. According to a factsheet released by the Saskatchewan local government, Saskatchewan produces 55 percent of Canada's canola, and accounts for 21 percent of global canola oil exports.

And in 2024, Canada exported almost $5 billion worth of canola seed, oil and meal to China with over half of those exports attributed to Saskatchewan. In 2024, China was Saskatchewan's second-largest export market, receiving nearly $4 billion in agri-food products, per the data provided by the Saskatchewan local government.

Carney will pay an official visit to China from January 14 to 17 and this visit marks the first trip to China by a Canadian Prime Minister in eight years, and the Chinese side places great emphasis on it, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular new briefing on Monday.

The office of Prime Minister of Canada said in a release on January 7 that the visit aims to elevate engagement on trade, energy, agriculture and international security. 

"The sound and stable development of China-Canada relations serves the common interests of both countries and their peoples, and also contributes to world peace, stability, development and prosperity," Mao noted.

China looks forward to taking this visit as an opportunity to enhance dialogue and communication, increase political mutual trust, expand practical cooperation, properly manage differences, address each other's concerns and consolidate the momentum of improvement in China-Canada relations to bring greater benefit for the two peoples, said the spokesperson.

Global Times