One of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s main objectives during a formal visit to China next week will be the take the next steps toward a free-trade agreement with the emerging world power.
One of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ‘s objectives during a formal visit to China this week will be to take the next steps toward a free-trade agreement with the emerging world power, confirmed Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains this weekend.
In an interview with The West Block ‘s Vassy Kapelos, Bains was pressed repeatedly for a clear answer on whether Canada and China would announce the launch of formal trade talks. Preliminary discussions have been underway with Beijing for months, with ambassador John McCallum promising that formal talks would likely begin this fall.
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Bains’ comments seemed to somewhat contradict those made by government representatives during a technical briefing in Ottawa on Friday, however. Officials were firm that Canada is still assessing its position, and that Trudeau has no plans to launch free trade talks this week.
Trudeau and Bains left for China on Saturday and will be staying until Friday. The visit will likely see the prime minister continue his attempts to balance Canada’s clear desire for access to the burgeoning Chinese market with concerns surrounding the country’s abysmal record on human rights.
