Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada’s relationship with China has reached a “turning point” following his first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping since taking office. The two leaders met for 39 minutes on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in South Korea — marking the first formal leader-level contact between the two countries in eight years.

Carney described the discussion as “long overdue,” saying both sides agreed to rebuild dialogue on trade and cooperation after years of strained ties. “This meeting creates opportunities for Canadian families, businesses and workers, and establishes a path to address current issues,” Carney told reporters after the meeting.

According to a readout from the Prime Minister’s Office, the leaders directed their officials to work quickly on resolving trade disputes involving canola, seafood and electric vehicles. They also discussed broader cooperation on clean energy, agriculture, manufacturing, climate change and international finance. Carney accepted Xi’s invitation for a future state visit, though no date has been confirmed.

President Xi, speaking through an interpreter, congratulated Carney on becoming prime minister and noted this year marks the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations. He said China–Canada relations have shown signs of “recovery and positive development momentum.”

Tensions between Ottawa and Beijing escalated sharply in 2018 following the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver and the subsequent detention of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor in China. Both men were freed in 2021. Since then, Canada has cautiously sought to re-engage with China, with recent meetings between senior officials from both governments.

Carney’s remarks at APEC emphasized pragmatic engagement, calling distance “not the way to solve problems” and urging cooperation to build a “more sustainable, inclusive international system.”