Mark Carney to Meet Xi Jinping Amid Record Trade

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on November 18-19 during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen. The meeting comes as two-way trade between the nations reached a quarterly high of $36.78 billion in the third quarter, driven by a 159 percent surge in crude oil exports via the Trans Mountain pipeline and increased agricultural shipments.

Carney intends to directly address foreign interference in Canadian affairs, citing a January 2025 public inquiry that named China as the most active perpetrator of interference in Canada's democratic institutions and elections. Despite these security concerns, Canada is pursuing tighter economic ties to reduce its dependence on the United States, aiming to double exports to non-U.S. markets by 2035. This strategy follows a January agreement where Canada secured lower Chinese tariffs in exchange for allowing Chinese electric vehicles into its market.

As part of his broader diplomatic efforts, Carney has appointed a new ambassador to China to fill a vacancy existing since the spring. His Asia tour also includes the ASEAN summit in the Philippines and the Francophonie summit in Cambodia. During these events, Carney is expected to engage with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss the global security climate.