Canada-China relations have reached a “turning point” after eight years, Mark Carney said, after a 40-minute meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC summit in South Korea, the first official meeting between the two countries’ leaders since 2017.

Carney also accepted an invitation from the Chinese president to visit Beijing, and the two countries agreed to take swift action to resolve trade issues, particularly on agricultural products, seafood and electric vehicles.

The Chinese president noted that this year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and that relations are back on a positive track. Carney also stressed that distancing will not solve the problem and that constructive dialogue is needed.

There was no discussion of human rights issues or China’s foreign interference in Canada during the meeting. Relations between the two countries had been strained since 2018, following the arrest of a Huawei executive in Canada and the detention of two Canadian citizens in China.

Carney has tried to improve relations since becoming prime minister; he met with the Chinese premier in New York last month, and now this meeting with the Chinese president could be a new beginning for relations between the two countries.

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