People watch a lion dance performance during a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in Toronto, Canada, on Oct. 4, 2025. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua)
For Canada, deepening cooperation with China should not be a matter of short-term calculation, but a practical choice to diversify markets, enhance competitiveness and strengthen long-term growth prospects.
BEIJING, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- In a world increasingly shaped by economic fragmentation, geopolitical tensions and resurgent protectionism, Canada, like many other countries, faces a practical challenge: how to sustain growth and build resilience amid mounting uncertainty?
Experience has shown that the answer lies not in confrontation or exclusion, but in steady and constructive engagement with major partners. For Canada, working with China is not optional, but necessary.
This reality is underscored during Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit to China, the first by a Canadian prime minister since 2017. The visit came after several years during which bilateral relations drifted from strain into stagnation.
During that period, trade frictions emerged, diplomatic exchanges were disrupted, and established dialogue mechanisms were left idle. Much of this downturn was shaped by external pressure rather than objective assessments of Canada's own long-term interests. The resulting costs -- in lost opportunities, reduced trust and weakened cooperation -- have been felt on the Canadian side.
China and Canada have enjoyed over 55 years of diplomatic relations. Although the relationship has experienced ups and downs, its underlying logic has remained unchanged. The two economies are highly complementary, and cooperation has consistently delivered tangible benefits to both peoples.
The difficulties encountered in recent years only serve to reaffirm a simple reality: disengagement runs counter to economic resilience and long-term stability.
As the global economy faces slowing growth, supply chain disruptions and rising protectionism, the need for practical and win-win cooperation has become more urgent. China's continued pursuit of high-quality development and high-level opening up provides sustained development opportunities for partners, including Canada.
Foreign tourists check out at a market in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, on Jan. 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)
For Canada, deepening cooperation with China should not be a matter of short-term calculation, but a practical choice to diversify markets, enhance competitiveness and strengthen long-term growth prospects.
A healthy and stable China-Canada relationship should be built on clear and enduring principles. Mutual respect is the political foundation. Despite differences in national conditions, political systems and development paths, both sides have a responsibility to respect each other's sovereignty and core interests, and to handle differences through dialogue and consultation rather than confrontation or coercion. History shows that only on this basis can cooperation be sustained.
Equally important is the expansion of mutually beneficial cooperation. The essence of China-Canada economic and trade relations is win-win. By focusing on cooperation and reducing unnecessary restrictions, the two sides can further strengthen their bond of shared interests in areas such as trade, energy, agriculture, finance, education and climate action.
Such cooperation not only brings direct benefits to both countries, but also contributes to the stability and reliability of global supply chains at a time of heightened uncertainty.
People-to-people exchanges form the most solid and enduring foundation of bilateral relations. Expanded interaction in education, culture, tourism, subnational cooperation and youth exchanges can help reduce misperceptions, deepen mutual understanding and consolidate public support for cooperation. When societal ties are strong, the relationship becomes more resilient to political fluctuations.
At the global level, the case for China-Canada cooperation is equally compelling. Both countries have long supported multilateralism and the central role of the United Nations. Strengthening coordination within frameworks such as the United Nations, the G20 and APEC is not only in the interests of China and Canada, but also essential for promoting world peace, stability and development.
By approaching the relationship with a sense of responsibility to history, to their peoples and to the world, China and Canada can place bilateral ties back on a healthy, stable and sustainable track, one that delivers concrete benefits at home and contributes to greater certainty in an increasingly uncertain world.■
