MONTREAL: Canada and China have agreed to regularize channels of communication, the office of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday, after a period of strained diplomatic relations between the two countries.
鈥淢ark Carney, spoke with the Premier of China, Li Qiang. The leaders exchanged views on bilateral relations, including the importance of engagement, and agreed to regularize channels of communication between Canada and China,鈥� it said in a statement.
They also discussed trade and 鈥渃ommitted their governments to working together to address the fentanyl crisis.鈥�
Ties between Beijing and Ottawa have been tense in recent years following the arrest of a senior Chinese telecom executive on a US warrant in 2018.
Li told Carney that 鈥渋n recent years, China-Canada relations have faced unnecessary disturbances and encountered serious difficulties,鈥� Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported.
He added that China is 鈥渨illing to work with Canada to jointly uphold multilateralism and free trade鈥� in the face of growing unilateralism and protectionism, Xinhua reported, noting that the call came at Carney鈥檚 request.
Both countries have been targeted by US President Donald Trump鈥檚 tariff hikes and have condemned them.