China and Canada Photo: VCG

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who is on an official visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday. This meeting marks the first visit to China by a Canadian prime minister in over eight years. It represents another in-depth exchange between the leaders of the two countries following their meeting in Gyeongju, South Korea, last October, as well as another turnaround of the China-Canada relationship after a period of turbulence.

President Xi put forward four constructive points for promoting the healthy, stable, and sustainable development of bilateral relations: First, the two countries should be partners that respect each other. Second, the two countries should be partners that pursue shared development. Third, the two countries should be partners that trust each other. Fourth, the two countries should be partners that collaborate with each other. This "four partners" framework draws on historical experience while looking toward future cooperation, providing a clear path for the steady and long-term development of China-Canada relations.

President Xi pointed out that since diplomatic ties began 55 years ago, the relationship has weathered storms and gone through ups and downs. History offers valuable lessons and inspiration for the present. Being "partners that respect each other" is the political cornerstone of China-Canada relations. Despite differences in national conditions, both sides should respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the political systems and development paths they have chosen. 

During the talks, Prime Minister Carney reaffirmed the one-China policy. This statement aligns with China's core concerns and removes a key obstacle to rebuilding mutual trust in bilateral relations. In international relations, only by adhering to mutual respect and equality can countries overcome ideological differences and establish a solid foundation for long-term political stability.

"Being partners in shared development" points the way forward for pragmatic cooperation between China and Canada. In the first 11 months of 2025, bilateral trade in goods reached $82.15 billion, and a record 125 Canadian companies participated in the 8th China International Import Expo. These facts show that the essence of China-Canada economic and trade relations is mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

Canada, which is committed to diversifying its economic and trade ties and reducing dependence on any single country, has strong momentum and broad space for cooperation with China, which is at a stage of high-level opening-up and high-quality development. 

According to the Joint Statement of the China-Canada Leaders' Meeting, the two sides will reinvigorate the high-level China-Canada Economic and Financial Strategic Dialogue (EFSD), expand bilateral trade, strengthen two-way investment, and deepen cooperation in areas such as agriculture, energy, and finance. These concrete arrangements fully embody a pragmatic spirit of "increasing efforts to promote cooperation and reducing the negative list."

Ahead of Carney's visit to China, Global Times published an editorial noting that "a warm wave of public opinion is quietly taking shape between China and Canada." The call to "be partners that trust each other" is a profound judgment that goes to the heart of public support. People-to-people connectivity is the most fundamental, solid and lasting form of interconnection. 

Among the outcomes of this high-level engagement, the two sides decided to restart the China-Canada Joint Committee on Culture and strengthen exchanges and cooperation in areas such as culture, education, arts, heritage and creative industries. 

In addition, multiple cooperation documents signed by both sides cover areas closely tied to people's livelihoods, including food safety, quarantine for pet food exports to China, modern wood construction, and cultural tourism promotion. 

These measures will directly benefit the peoples of both countries. Relevant approaches will also help repair people-to-people ties that were damaged by political turbulence and pandemic restrictions, and further solidify the social foundation of China-Canada relations.

Both China and Canada are firm supporters of multilateralism, and being "partners that collaborate with each other" expands the horizon of bilateral cooperation to the global level. In the face of global challenges such as climate change, increased supply chain instability, and setbacks to multilateralism, a divided world cannot provide effective solutions. 

The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism, support for the central role of the United Nations, and the multilateral trading system underpinned by the World Trade Organization. They also agreed to deepen cooperation under frameworks such as the G20, APEC, and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Such coordination and cooperation on global governance issues reflect a shared consensus between China and Canada to inject positive energy into world peace and stability.

Regarding Carney's visit to China, "positive development" appears frequently in the Chinese side's readout, while the Canadian side most often described the visit as "historic." The collaboration text repeatedly used expressions such as "restart" and "strengthen." 

The two sides also signed eight specific cooperation documents covering public safety, energy, culture, customs, construction, and other fields, demonstrating both the breadth and depth of cooperation. Of course, challenges remain ahead and will require wisdom and patience from both sides. 

We sincerely hope the Canadian side will cherish this hard-won positive development, keep external interference at bay, deepen practical cooperation, and advance the building of a "strong and enduring" new Strategic Partnership between China and Canada.