Londoners with roots in China see Mark Carney's visit as crucial 'starting point'

Two London residents with roots in China say they'll be paying close attention to this week's visit to China by Prime Minister Mark Carney. Both see the trip as a first step toward improving what has been a complicated trade history between the two countries in recent years.

Carney's four-day visit to China, the first by a Canadian prime minister since 2017, begins Tuesday. It's being billed as part of a greater effort by Canada to expand its trade options beyond its relationship with the United States, which llaunched a trade war with Canada last year shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump took office.

Crystal Ren, a 21-year-old student studying at Western University's Ivey School of Business, spoke to CBC News from Beijing. Born in Canada to Chinese immigrants, Ren isn't expecting Carney's visit to bring sweeping changes right away. Instead, she sees it more as a starting point for a much broader effort to improve relations.

"I think that everyone realizes this is a first step and more needs to be done, but it does signal a positive relationship between the two countries," said Ren.

As a business major, Ren said Canada can't ignore the size and influence of China's market and its population of 1.4 billion.

On her current trip to China, Ren has noticed far more storefronts emblazoned with the names and logos of Western brands, such as Starbucks, than she remembered from her last visit in 2015.

"It's clear that these other companies are coming into China and taking advantage of the market, so why can't Canada do it too?"

Ren acknowledges that Canada has a complicated history with China and questions China's human rights record.

In 2024, Canada imposed 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in lockstep with the United States, arguing the measure was required to protect Canada's domestic automobile industry.

China responded by imposing tariffs on many Canadian products, everything from canola to meat and seafood.

Prior to the tariff dispute over EVs, two Canadians were detained in China for three years starting in 2018. Those arrests were widely seen as retaliation after a Chinese businesswoman was arrested while changing planes in Vancouver. Overcoming the fallout of those events won't be easy, even with Canada keen to find new trading partners.

"I do think there could be positive discussions about where things go in the future," said Ren. "I think people here in China have a very favourable view of Canadians."

Another Londoner paying close attention to the visit is Carmel Tse, who works in municipal government and formerly served on the Chinese Canadian National Council.

"This trip is a great opportunity not just for the Chinese community, but for Canada as a whole," he said.