Trudeau seeks to bolster ties with China
September 1, 2016, 1:29 am

“Renewing our relationship with China is extremely important for Canada,” Trudeau said after meeting with Li and Xi in Beijing on Wednesday [Xinhua]

Trudeau arrived in Beijing for his first official visit since winning election last year late on Tuesday.

“A stronger and deeper relationship with China is essential if we are to achieve our own objectives to create Canadian jobs, to strengthen the middle class, and to grow the Canadian economy,” Trudeau said on the eve of his trip to Beijing.

With an entourage of business leaders and climate change experts, to name a few, Trudeau will use his eight-day state visit to boost commercial and political ties with China, in addition to attending a pivotal G20 summit in Hangzhou on September 4.

On Wednesday, he met with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.

Following their meeting, Li said that the two countries agreed to establish a feasibility study of a free trade zone.

For his part, Xi said that China and Canada should cooperate on a series of landmark projects.

The two countries agreed to set up an annual high-level dialogue mechanism on national security and global governance.

“Renewing our relationship with China is extremely important for Canada.” He also vowed to boost the stability of ties and frequency of meetings.

“China will play a central role in shaping the global landscape in the years to come, and it’s in the best of our countries’ interest to develop a stronger partnership,” Trudeau said.

Trudeau’s visit carries with it a bit of historic nostalgia as it was his father Pierre who was among the first Western leaders to visit China in 1973.

Trudeau said he brought his children with him to China because he wanted to pass along the “friendship and the openness towards China” that he learned from his father on not only to his children but also future Canadians.

The BRICS Post with inputs from Agencies