Canada is entering a “new era of relations†with China and the stage is set for talks on ways the two countries can be “strategic partners," Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday.
The prime minister made the comments as he was welcomed in Beijing by the second and third most powerful figures in China’s political system: Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, chairman of the standing committee of the ºÃÉ«tv People’s Congress.
ºÃÉ«tv Prime Minister Mark Carney, second from right, sits beside, Minister of Industry and Minister Melanie Joly, third from right, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand, right, as they meet with Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the ºÃÉ«tv People's Congress, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
- Sean Kilpatrick
Parliamentary Secretary of Agriculture Kody Blois, left to right, Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson, Minister of Industry and Minister Melanie Joly, and ºÃÉ«tv Prime Minister Mark Carney take part in a meeting with Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the ºÃÉ«tv People's Congress, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
- Sean Kilpatrick
Parliamentary Secretary of Agriculture Kody Blois, second from left, Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu, third from left, and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson, right, take part in a meeting with ºÃÉ«tv Prime Minister Mark Carney an Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the ºÃÉ«tv People's Congress, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
- Sean Kilpatrick
Premier of Saskatchewan Scott Moe, third from right, sits beside ºÃÉ«tv Prime Minister Mark Carney, second from right, as they take part in a bilateral meeting with Premier of China Li Qiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
- Sean Kilpatrick
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, second right, and Chinese Ambassador to Canada Wang Di, right, meet with Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
- Sean Kilpatrick
ºÃÉ«tv Prime Minister Mark Carney, back left, and Premier of China Li Qiang, back right, look on as Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson, front left, and Wang Hongzhi, Director of the ºÃÉ«tv Energy Administration in China, take part in a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
- Sean Kilpatrick
ºÃÉ«tv Prime Minister Mark Carney, back left, and Premier of China Li Qiang, back right, look on as Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Heath MacDonald, front left, and Sun Meijun, Minister of the General Administration of Customs in China take part in a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
- Sean Kilpatrick
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Canada flags fly in front of Tiananmen Tower (Gate of Heavenly Peace) as ºÃÉ«tv Prime Minister Mark Carney visits Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
- Sean Kilpatrick
ºÃÉ«tv Prime Minister Mark Carney inspects an honour guard during an official welcoming at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
- Sean Kilpatrick
ºÃÉ«tv Prime Minister Mark Carney inspects an honour guard as he is accompanied by Premier of China Li Qiang during an official welcoming at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
- Sean Kilpatrick
ºÃÉ«tv Prime Minister Mark Carney meets with Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the ºÃÉ«tv People's Congress, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
- Sean Kilpatrick
Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the ºÃÉ«tv People's Congress, middle, takes part in a meeting with ºÃÉ«tv Prime Minister Mark Carney at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
- Sean Kilpatrick
ºÃÉ«tv Prime Minister Mark Carney, second from right, sits beside, Minister of Industry and Minister Melanie Joly, third from right, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand, right, as they meet with Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the ºÃÉ«tv People's Congress, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
- Sean Kilpatrick
Parliamentary Secretary of Agriculture Kody Blois, left to right, Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson, Minister of Industry and Minister Melanie Joly, and ºÃÉ«tv Prime Minister Mark Carney take part in a meeting with Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the ºÃÉ«tv People's Congress, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
- Sean Kilpatrick
Parliamentary Secretary of Agriculture Kody Blois, second from left, Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu, third from left, and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson, right, take part in a meeting with ºÃÉ«tv Prime Minister Mark Carney an Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the ºÃÉ«tv People's Congress, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
- Sean Kilpatrick
ºÃÉ«tv Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier of China Li Qiang take part in a bilateral meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
- Sean Kilpatrick
ºÃÉ«tv Prime Minister Mark Carney, third from right, takes part in a bilateral meeting with Premier of China Li Qiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
- Sean Kilpatrick
Premier of Saskatchewan Scott Moe, third from right, sits beside ºÃÉ«tv Prime Minister Mark Carney, second from right, as they take part in a bilateral meeting with Premier of China Li Qiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
- Sean Kilpatrick
Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand, second left, meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, third right, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
- Sean Kilpatrick
Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
- Sean Kilpatrick
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, second right, and Chinese Ambassador to Canada Wang Di, right, meet with Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
- Sean Kilpatrick
ºÃÉ«tv Prime Minister Mark Carney, back left, and Premier of China Li Qiang, back right, look on as Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson, front left, and Wang Hongzhi, Director of the ºÃÉ«tv Energy Administration in China, take part in a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
- Sean Kilpatrick
ºÃÉ«tv Prime Minister Mark Carney, back left, and Premier of China Li Qiang, back right, look on as Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Heath MacDonald, front left, and Sun Meijun, Minister of the General Administration of Customs in China take part in a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
- Sean Kilpatrick
Minister of Industry Melanie Joly talks to reporters in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
- Sean Kilpatrick
ºÃÉ«tv Prime Minister Mark Carney shakes hands with Premier of China Li Qiang as he arrives to take part in an official welcoming at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
- Sean Kilpatrick
Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
- Sean Kilpatrick
ºÃÉ«tv Prime Minister Mark Carney meets with Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the ºÃÉ«tv People's Congress, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
- Sean Kilpatrick
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