British Columbia Premier David Eby looks on before a meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, on May 20, 2026. Photo: VCG

British Columbia Premier David Eby is scheduled to leave for his trade mission to China on Saturday in hopes of diversifying trade relationships, Canadian media reported. The reported trip, which builds on the bilateral consensus reached during Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's January visit, demonstrates the provincial government's proactive stance toward strengthening economic ties and bilateral exchanges with China, a Chinese analyst said.

Posting on social media on Saturday, Eby wrote that "China is B.C.'s second largest trading partner. To strengthen ties and expand markets for B.C. goods, I will be leading a trade mission to China." He also said the planned trip is for "reducing our reliance on the US." "Growing trade with other countries is one way we will continue to support good jobs for British Columbians," Eby posted.

Speaking with the media, Eby also said "We want to double our international trade beyond where it is right now, outside of the US," CTV reported. "The US has been historically a very good trading partner for us, but we've been too dependent on the US." 

Speaking with the media on Saturday before catching a flight to China, the premier described China as British Columbia's second-largest trading partner, and said he and Minister of Transportation Mike Farnworth will be making stops in Beijing, Shanghai, and Wenzhou, and the focus on this trip will be jobs and opportunity for British Columbians, Canadian media outlet CTV News reported.

"We have lots of connections, people-to-people connections with China, 500,000 Canadians of Chinese descent in British Columbia alone," he explained, per the report. "Those people-to-people relationships have gotten us through some tough times."

Eby's planned trip is expected to include Wenzhou in East China's Zhejiang Province, where the two sides have maintained broad people-to-people exchanges. Educational cooperation has been one channel of such engagement, with the Canada British Columbia International School in Wenzhou operating since 2023 as one of seven such schools in China.

The Canadian Press reported on Saturday that Eby also said his first-ever trade trip to China will focus on pitching the province's forestry products and energy sector around LNG development, approaching the mission with both excitement and caution. 

As of press time, the Global Times hasn't found confirmation from the Chinese Foreign Ministry regarding Eby's visit to China.

The reported trip comes after Carney's visit to China in January, the first trip to China by a Canadian Prime Minister in eight years. During Carney's visit, both sides signed multiple cooperation documents covering trade, customs, energy, construction, culture, and public security, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Zhao Xingshu, a deputy director of the Department of Canadian Studies at the Institute of American Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday that the reported visit builds on the consensus reached by Chinese and Canadian leaders during Carney's official visit to China this January.

Eby also pointed to Carney having "opened the door" for this opportunity to expand trade with China, and outlined that he'll be "at the table" to discuss lumber trade, agricultural products, and "opportunities like tourism" that can grow British Columbia's economy at home, CTV News reported.

In the months since Carney's China visit, exchanges between China and Canada at various levels have gathered momentum, Zhao noted. 

On May 29 local time, Carney met with Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Ottawa. During the meeting, Wang said that facts have proven that a better China-Canada relationship serves the interests of both countries, meets the expectations of all parties, and represents the right choice for Canada, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Earlier this month, Minister of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) Li Lecheng met with Canada's Minister of Industry Melanie Joly in Beijing, and the two sides exchanged views on deepening industrial cooperation, according to MIIT.

Zhao added that British Columbia stands out as one of the provinces hit hard by past China-Canada trade frictions. Against this backdrop, British Columbia has a strong desire to grow economic and trade ties with China, the expert said.

Despite being locked into long-term structural reliance on the US market, Canada's push for trade diversification aligns with public sentiment, Zhao said. By expanding ties with China and other global partners, authorities intend to reassure that the country is moving beyond one-sided dependence on America.

The delegation's reported visit itself sends a clear signal for deeper cooperation, showing the provincial government has adopted a proactive attitude toward boosting economic links and mutual exchanges with China, Zhao said. The visit is also expected to lay the groundwork for more extensive collaboration down the line, bringing mutual benefits to both countries, the expert noted.