By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-01-07 10:06:37 | Updated at 2025-01-08 10:54:45
1 day ago
The resignation of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has overseen deteriorating ties with China over the past nine years, has rekindled hopes for “a rebound” in bilateral relations despite mutual distrust, according to Chinese pundits.
Trudeau, currently the longest-serving leader of any Group of Seven (G7) country, said on Monday he would step down when his ruling Liberal Party chooses a new leader in the coming months.
The changes in Canada’s political leadership may provide a window of opportunity for both sides to ease tensions if Ottawa is willing to soften its anti-China stance, said Shen Dingli, a Shanghai-based international relations expert.
“The next government should realise that Ottawa’s current approach is not working and make adjustments in its dealings with China,” he said.
Under Trudeau, who became prime minister in 2015, China-Canada ties entered a downward spiral marked by frequent diplomatic and trade rifts, including recent accusations of Chinese meddling in Canadian elections.
Bilateral ties hit a record low after Canada’s arrest of Huawei Technologies executive Meng Wanzhou in late 2018 on behalf of the US, and China’s subsequent detention of two Canadians, Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, on spying charges.
