China Defends Economic Ties with Canada

(MENAFN) China on Monday emphasized that its growing economic relationship with Canada is not aimed at any third country and contributes to global stability, following threats from the United States to impose tariffs on Ottawa over potential deals with Beijing.

“China believes countries need to approach state-to-state relations in the spirit of win-win, rather than the mentality of zero sum, through cooperation, rather than confrontation,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing.

The warning from Washington came after US President Donald Trump posted on the social media platform Truth Social on Saturday: "If Canada makes a deal with China, it will immediately be hit with a 100% tariff against all Canadian goods and products coming into the U.S.A."

Addressing the situation, Guo highlighted that China and Canada have forged “a new type of strategic partnership and made some specific arrangements on properly handling economic and trade issues between the two countries.”

He added that this partnership “reflects the spirit of equality, openness, inclusiveness, peaceful cooperation, joint sharing and mutual benefit.”

Earlier this month, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited China, a trip described by Chinese President Xi Jinping as a “turning point” in bilateral relations. Carney said Canada’s ties with China were “more predictable” than those with its southern neighbor under Trump.

Canada and China first established diplomatic relations in 1970. Bilateral trade between the two nations reached $67 billion by the end of 2024.

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