China and Canada Seek to Mend Fences: A New Chapter Begins 📖
In a move that could reshape relations between the two nations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly on Friday. The two leaders discussed the importance of returning to their original intention of establishing a strategic partnership and promoting the normalization of bilateral ties.
Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, highlighted that China-Canada relations have faced \"difficulties and twists\" in recent years. \"This is not the situation China wants to see and requires serious reflection from the Canadian side,\" he emphasized.
Despite the challenges, Wang noted that there's no fundamental conflict of interest between China and Canada. \"Our peoples have a long history of friendly exchanges,\" he said. \"Maintaining and developing bilateral relations serves the fundamental interests of both countries.\"
As major players in the Asia-Pacific region, Wang stressed that China and Canada share extensive common interests and have complementary advantages. He called for both sides to view each other objectively, treat each other with mutual respect, and handle differences by seeking common ground while shelving differences. \"Let's return to our original intentions and inject momentum into normalizing our relations,\" he added.
Mélanie Joly acknowledged the long-standing friendship between Canadians and the Chinese people. \"Canada is willing to actively and pragmatically improve and develop our relations with China,\" she affirmed. Joly expressed readiness to strengthen cooperation in areas like economy and trade, tourism, climate change, environmental protection, and people-to-people exchanges. \"We aim for mutually beneficial development,\" she said.
Importantly, Joly reiterated Canada's commitment to the one-China policy, a significant step toward rebuilding trust.
Wang Yi urged Canada to take concrete actions to facilitate exchanges between the two countries, maintain people-to-people connections, and improve mutual understanding. He also emphasized that issues related to Taiwan, Xizang, Xinjiang, and Hong Kong are China's internal affairs and should not be subject to external interference.
Could this meeting be the beginning of a new chapter in China-Canada relations? Only time will tell, but the conversation signals a hopeful step forward for both nations. 🌐✨
Reference(s):
Chinese foreign minister calls to normalize ties with Canada
cgtn.com
