Trudeau said that on this trip, he would “strive for a closer, more balanced relationship between Canada and China”, to unlock untapped potential in commercial ties.
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An eleventh-hour deal to delay new, stricter rules on canola imports was a meaningful and important step for Canada, Freeland said.
Canada’s global trade minister says the rules governing shipments of Canadian canola to China will remain in place until both countries can reach a new agreement on acceptable import standards.
On Wednesday, Trudeau and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang reached a last-minute temporary solution for an urgent trade dispute over Canadian canola exports. “But I know this visit to China – first time as prime minister of Canada – will certainly leave you a deep and new impression”, he said.
Last year, merchandise trade between Canada and China grew by 10.1 per cent to almost US$85.8 billion, accounting for 8.1 per cent of Canada’s total merchandise trade, the Canadian government’s statistics showed. The two sides chose to extend the existing agreement while they negotiate a permanent deal.
Canadian maple syrup and lobsters are only a few clicks away with the opening of a national online “pavilion” on an Alibaba shopping platform yesterday. If Canada joins AIIB, it will become the first North American member of the institution.
“I remind everyone that as a country that has seen first hand the benefits of free expression and good governance – Canada encourages China to do more to promote and protect human rights.”
Canadian companies have signed a number of deals with Chinese companies, it was announced Thursday. According to Ottawa’s ambassador to Beijing, Guy Saint-Jacques, free trade talks between the two countries haven’t officially begun because of Canadian concerns over labour, the environment and Chinese state-owned enterprises.
Two-way merchandise trade between Canada and China amounted to almost $85.8 billion in 2015.
The mayor of Shanghai was among the dignitaries taking part in the banquet.
In 2015, bilateral trade with China increased 10.1 per cent over 2014.
The two sides will strategise on how to use e-commerce to stimulate trade, with opportunities for Canadian small and medium-sized exporters, as per the agreement signed in presence of Alibaba Group executive chairman Jack Ma and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau at Alibaba Group’s head office in Hangzhou.
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and wife Sophie Gregoire wave as they and daughter Ella-Grace arrive in Hangzhou, China, Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016. The famous tourist destination set the backdrop for Trudeau’s announcement that the two countries would collaborate on the development of China’s national parks.
