But that visit, which concluded earlier this week with a potentially important trade deal between the two countries, was not officially at the invitation of Xi. On September 23, Li and Carney met in person in New York City at a United Nations General Assembly session. When Carney finally arrived in Beijing last week, he also met with Li, before the final touches on the trade deal were resolved. The thawing of relations and the trade deal with Canada are consistent with his world view and policy priorities — perhaps more so than Xi. From the perspective of Canadian trade, there’s no comparison between the two as trade partners.

Source: National Post January 22, 2026 10:23 UTC