China and Canada Photo: VCG

China and Canada issued a joint statement following their leaders' meeting on Friday, with the two sides committing to strengthening agricultural cooperation and food security,  the Xinhua News Agency reported.

According to the statement, the two sides reaffirmed the importance of a fair and open business environment for enterprises of both countries, and committed to addressing economic and trade issues of mutual concern through constructive consultation, including through a renewed China-Canada Joint Economic and Trade Commission. Leaders welcomed the signing of the China-Canada Economic and Trade Cooperation Roadmap, and instructed officials to advance the work related to the document. 

The two sides developed a preliminary joint arrangement to address bilateral economic and trade issues. The two sides committed to strengthening agricultural cooperation and food security, including through a revitalized China-Canada Joint Agriculture Committee.

During Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit, the two sides signed the cooperation documents including a Memorandum of Understanding between the General Administration of Customs (GAC) of China and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency regarding Food Safety and Animal and Plants Health Cooperation and an Arrangement between the GAC and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency on a Protocol for the Quarantine and Hygiene Requirements for Pet Food to be Exported to China.

Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Friday that cooperation in agriculture and food security has long been an important component of bilateral economic and trade ties and offers substantial room for practical cooperation. 

"If advanced step by step and translated into concrete outcomes under the agreed roadmaps and working mechanisms, it would help enhance the stability and predictability of bilateral economic and trade cooperation and lay a solid foundation for expanding collaboration in other areas," Zhou said.

In a previous exclusive interview with the Global Times, Mark Ceolin, founder and chair of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, said China and Canada are highly complementary in many respects, and that the Canadian chamber remains positive about advancing this cooperation.

"We have an opportunity here to not only recalibrate our bilateral relationship but to find ways to forge into the future by bringing Canadian commodities such as oil, lumber, minerals, to the table, as well as our skilled workforce and excellent research facilities and technologies into new partnership with Chinese innovation and manufacturing systems," he said.

China is the second largest single-country trading partner to Canada, totaling $118.7 billion in two-way merchandise trade in 2024, according to the latest data released on the official website of the Prime Minister of Canada's office. Canadian merchandise exports to China were $29.9 billion, while merchandise imports were $88.8 billion, the data showed, reflecting the complementary nature of bilateral trade.