The key facts

  • Carney confirmed the meeting with Xi Jinping at the APEC summit and his intention to raise the non-interference issue
  • China's Foreign Ministry stated that it has 'never been interested in interfering' in Canada's affairs
  • The post of Canada's ambassador in Beijing has been vacant for seven months; a candidate has been found and is awaiting Beijing's approval

APEC summit meeting and the interference question

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, at a press conference in Montreal, confirmed that next week at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit he will meet with PRC Chairman Xi Jinping. According to him, the talks will cover global security and economic partnership between the two countries. Carney also said he will raise the issue of non-interference by China and other countries in Canada's affairs — he was asked about espionage allegations and about unauthorized Chinese 'police stations' in Canada.

Beijing's reaction

In advance of the meeting, China's Foreign Ministry rejected the interference allegations. Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told journalists in Beijing that China 'has always adhered to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries and has never been interested in interfering in Canada's internal affairs.' Thus, the two sides' positions on this issue remain opposite: Ottawa intends to voice its concerns, while Beijing denies that there is any basis for them.

Economy and the ambassador

Carney described the economic relationship as deepening, but with 'clear guardrails' on areas of cooperation: he named manufacturing, including automobiles, as the main area of trade growth, accounting, by his words, for less than 3% of the Canadian market. He assessed the security risks of the partnership with China as many times smaller than those faced by the US in its relations with Beijing. China is Canada's second-largest trading partner among individual countries: trade turnover in 2025 reached 125.7 billion Canadian dollars (about 90 billion US dollars), according to the Canadian government. Carney also acknowledged that the post of Canada's ambassador in Beijing has been vacant for seven months — longer than planned — and said a candidate has been found, with Ottawa awaiting Beijing's approval as part of the usual diplomatic procedure; the announcement, according to him, is expected 'in the very near future.'