China extended its congratulations to Mark Carney on Monday after his election as the leader of Canada’s Liberal Party, positioning him to become the country’s next prime minister.
Carney, 59, secured a landslide victory within his party on Sunday. However, his tenure may be brief, as Canada is required to hold national elections by October.
His appointment comes during a challenging period, with US President Donald Trump imposing substantial tariffs on Canada and escalating his aggressive rhetoric against one of America’s primary allies.
In a statement, China’s foreign ministry expressed its acknowledgment of Carney’s election and congratulated him. “China always maintains that bilateral relations should be developed on the basis of mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit,” said ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning at a regular press briefing.
The statement further emphasized that China hopes Canada will maintain an “objective and rational understanding of China” and adopt a “positive and pragmatic policy” towards the country.
China-Canada relations have been strained since 2018 when Canada detained Meng Wanzhou, a senior executive from Chinese tech giant Huawei, leading to Beijing’s detention of two Canadian nationals in retaliation.
In an escalating trade dispute, China announced plans on Saturday to impose tariffs on Canadian exports, including rapeseed oil and pork. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce confirmed that a 100% tariff would be applied to imported rapeseed oil, oil cakes, and peas from Canada, while a 25% tariff would be imposed on aquatic products and pork, effective March 20.
AFP
