Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian

In response to a media inquiry regarding Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's just-concluded visit to Canada, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that, at the invitation of Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi paid an official visit to Canada from May 28 to 30. 

This was the first visit to Canada by a Chinese foreign minister in a decade. During the visit, Wang met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, held talks with Foreign Minister Anand, and met with friendly figures including former prime minister Jean Chrétien. The two sides had candid, in-depth and constructive exchanges of views on advancing the China-Canada Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and on international and regional issues of mutual interest, reaching extensive consensus and achieving fruitful outcomes, said the spokesperson.

Lin said that both sides positively evaluated the progress made in bilateral relations since Prime Minister Carney's visit to China in January this year. They agreed to strengthen dialogue and communication, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, expand people-to-people and cultural exchanges, enhance multilateral coordination, and work together to reform and improve global governance. The two sides also agreed to establish a China-Canada Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue mechanism and resume political and security consultations between the two foreign ministries, as well as the high-level national security and rule-of-law dialogue.

Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, China-Canada relations have corrected their course and returned to the right track, Wang noted. This serves the interests of both countries and meets the expectations of all parties. The most important lesson from the development of China-Canada relations is the need to uphold mutual respect, seek common ground while reserving differences, maintain strategic independence, and pursue mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. 

China stands ready to work with Canada to implement the important consensus reached by the two leaders, further explore pathways for advancing the China-Canada Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, make preparations for Carney's visit to China to attend the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, and promote the steady, sound and sustainable development of bilateral relations, the spokesperson said.

The Canadian side said it attaches great importance to relations with China and is committed to developing the Canada-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Canada firmly adheres to the one-China policy, and this position will not change. Canada also actively supports China's hosting of this year's APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and is honored to participate as the Guest Country of Honor at this year's China International Import Expo. Canada looks forward to increasing its exports to China by 50 percent before 2030, Lin added.

Global Times