"Welcome to China!" That is what I said to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney ahead of his press conference briefing the media on the outcomes of his China trip – and it is likely what many Chinese people would like to say to him. Carney's trip marks the first visit to China by a Canadian prime minister in eight years.

China and Canada have long maintained close trade ties. Official data show that in 2024, China was Canada's second-largest trading partner, second-largest source of imports, and second-largest export market, ranking just behind the United States in all three categories. However, under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canada's China policy increasingly aligned with Washington, leading to political frictions and trade disputes, including imposition of 100 percent tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.

Carney's visit comes amid heightened pressure from the United States. This included remarks by President Donald Trump suggesting Canada could become the 51st U.S. state, comments about taking over Greenland on Canada's northwestern flank, the imposition of tariffs and calls for increased military spending.

So what results have been achieved during this high-level exchange? On tariffs, Canada has agreed to cut its 100 percent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles. Under the new arrangement, tariffs on Chinese-made electric cars will be reduced to 6.1 percent, with an annual import cap of 49,000 units, rising to 70,000 over five years.

On the Chinese side, authorities said more favorable tariff arrangements will be implemented for Canadian agricultural products, including canola, before March 1, 2026. The new measures will directly lower the cost of Canadian agricultural products entering the Chinese market and help stabilize bilateral agricultural trade.

Meanwhile, leaders from both sides welcomed the signing of the China-Canada Economic and Trade Cooperation Roadmap. First, they agreed to strengthen the China-Canada Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JETC) by upgrading it to the ministerial level. They also committed to fully resuming dialogue and exchanges among working groups on intellectual property rights, trade remedies and other related issues.

Second, the two sides agreed to expand pragmatic economic and trade cooperation across a wide range of sectors. The roadmap outlines a cooperation framework covering eight areas, including agriculture and food security, green and sustainable trade, and e-commerce, among others. It also puts forward 28 cooperative proposals in fields such as energy, consumer goods, small and medium-sized enterprises, and new materials.

Both sides further reached consensus on cooperation within multilateral and regional frameworks. They reaffirmed their support for a rules-based multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization and agreed to work together through the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) mechanism, including Canada's support for China's hosting of the 2026 APEC meeting.

"Historic and productive," that is how Canadian Prime Minister Carney described his China trip. He noted that since his predecessor last visited China in 2017, the world has undergone profound changes, particularly in technology and the energy transition. He said that Canada needs to move quickly and at scale to find new partners. One remark left a deep impression: Canada must understand its differences with other countries and focus its efforts on working together where interests align.

Looking ahead, both sides have described the future of China-Canada relations as a new "strategic partnership."