The canola dispute was expected to dominate the trade agenda during Trudeau’s high-level meetings during his first official visit to China.
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“Renewing our relationship with China is extremely important to Canada”, Trudeau said at a joint news conference after his meeting with Li.
China is Canada’s second-largest trading partner after the US.
Government negotiators in China are working hard to resolve a dispute that could affect Canadian canola exports, says Canada’s global trade minister.
The poll results echo Mr. Trudeau’s parallel messaging in the lead-up to his eight-day trip to China, in which he said he would address issues of human rights and democracy even as he tried to boost Canadian exports to China. While he didn’t directly mention predecessor Stephen Harper, who had sought to stem Chinese influence on the Canadian economy, Trudeau said that overlooking China is a mistake.
The bank has already invested more than US$500 million in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Tajikistan, and Chinese officials have said it plans to loan out US$10-15 billion over the next five years.
“This decision also indicates that Canada, like many new applicants, affirms the way this new bank is being run in the first eight months of operation and trusts in the bank’s unswerving commitment in the years to come”, Jin said.
For its part, China has been urging Canada to negotiate a free trade agreement.
The state-run Xinhua news agency published a commentary Tuesday that chided Canada for allowing “groundless” human rights concerns cloud what could be a productive relationship with China – especially since Canada’s own reputation on the treatment of Aboriginal Peoples is less than stellar.
“Around the world there is anxiety around trade, there is anxiety around China”, Trudeau told a question-and-answer session at the China Entrepreneur Club.
“Justin Trudeau will be in China as a Canadian prime minister extending the ground-breaking investment in a relationship initiated by a predecessor, who happens to have been his father”, said Jeremy Kinsman, who is a professor at Ryerson University of Canada and was Canadian ambassador to Russian Federation and to the European Union.
Canadian farmers sold $2 billion worth of canola seed previous year in China – or 40 per cent of the country’s exports of the crop. As a result, Canada’s trade imbalance with China past year hit $46 billion, and is growing fast.
Li said both Canada and China will defend the liberalization of global trade and the promotion of a simpler implementation of investments in the worldwide community. The Liberal government, like other Canadian governments before it, will surely find that dealing with Beijing is complex, frustrating and unlikely to yield many quick gains.
All the more reason for Trudeau to tackle issues such as the decline of Chinese investment in Canada’s energy sector.
China has publicly urged Canada to begin free trade discussions, arguing a deal would bring considerable benefits for Canadians.
But China offers too much potential for it to be ignored, said Mulrooney.
China is Canada’s top export market for the oilseed, and Ottawa has taken a strong line in talks on a new standard, which may raise costs for exporters.
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China will view the visit as a chance to fix ties with Canada, said Shi Yinhong, director of the Center on American Studies at Renmin University in Beijing and an adviser to the State Council.
