Xi lays out four-point blueprint for China-Canada ties in meeting with Carney

Chinese President Xi Jinping on January 16 outlined a four-point proposal to guide the future of China-Canada relations, calling for mutual respect, shared development, deeper trust and global collaboration during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Beijing.

Xi said the proposals are aimed at steering bilateral relations onto a path of healthy, stable and sustainable development, noting that such progress would benefit both peoples and contribute to global peace, stability and prosperity, Caliber.Az reports per Chinese media. 

Recalling their meeting in October last year in Gyeongju, Republic of Korea, Xi said the two sides had opened a new phase of positive development in bilateral ties, holding in-depth discussions on restoring and resuming cooperation across multiple fields and achieving “positive outcomes.”

Under the first proposal, Xi said China and Canada should be partners of mutual respect. Reflecting on the 55 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, he noted that the relationship has experienced ups and downs but has generated valuable lessons. Despite differing national conditions, he said, both countries should respect each other’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, political systems and chosen development paths.

The second proposal called for partnership in common development. Xi emphasised that China-Canada economic and trade relations are inherently based on mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. He said China’s high-quality development and continued opening-up would create new opportunities for bilateral cooperation, urging both sides to expand cooperation while reducing restrictive measures to strengthen shared interests.

Third, Xi highlighted the importance of mutual trust, stressing that people-to-people exchanges form the most enduring foundation of bilateral relations. He called for increased cooperation in education, culture, tourism, sports and sub-national exchanges, as well as measures to facilitate travel and strengthen public support for the relationship.

The fourth proposal focused on collaboration on global issues. Xi said a divided world cannot effectively address common challenges and called for upholding true multilateralism and advancing the vision of a community with a shared future for humanity.

He expressed China’s willingness to enhance coordination with Canada within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, the G20 and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

Xi added that advancing a new strategic partnership between China and Canada requires a sense of responsibility toward history, the people and the wider world.

By Sabina Mammadli