Canada–China relations

Diplomatic relations between <a href="/facts/Canada/D5P9yqs6">Canada</a> and <a href="/facts/China/lTjIXY5p">China</a> officially date back to 1942, when Canada sent an ambassador to the <a href="/facts/Republic_of_China_(1912%25E2%2580%25931949)/NgEhkXWz">Republic of China</a>. Before then, Canada had been represented by the British ambassador. The Communist victory in the <a href="/facts/Chinese_Civil_War/FML5ckX5">Chinese Civil War</a> and subsequent proclamation of the <a href="/facts/China/lTjIXY5p">People's Republic of China</a> in 1949 did not break the relations with the Republic of China until 1970, when Canadian Prime Minister <a href="/facts/Pierre_Trudeau/HXJvLyhk">Pierre Trudeau</a> became one of the first Western leaders to recognize the People's Republic of China.
In 2017, China was Canada's top export market and top import supplier in Asia. On the other hand, Canada had a significant trade imbalance, importing <a href="/facts/Canadian_dollar/NMSsTyIE">CA$</a>44.235 billion more from China than the value of its exports to the country in 2016, for example.
Relations between the Canadian and Chinese governments have deteriorated significantly in recent years, particularly during the tenures of <a href="/facts/General_Secretary_of_the_Chinese_Communist_Party/pMmwwJwu">CCP general secretary</a> <a href="/facts/Xi_Jinping/DTd5Yeh6">Xi Jinping</a> and <a href="/facts/President_of_the_United_States/oMsfmLb1">U.S. President</a> <a href="/facts/Donald_Trump/pqqKY21P">Donald Trump</a>. Canada has criticized the Chinese government over issues such as the <a href="/facts/Persecution_of_Uyghurs_in_China/cY8uKTgd">oppression of Uyghurs in China</a>, the crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong, allegedly unfair trade practices, and <a href="/facts/Chinese_intelligence_activity_abroad/1hYCzrLz">espionage and intimidation activities</a> in Canada. In 2022, Canada referred to China as "disruptive" in its official Indo-Pacific strategy document.
The <a href="/facts/Government_of_China/wGcnIR4s">Chinese government</a>, in turn, sees Canada's position as reflective of growing <a href="/facts/Anti-Chinese_sentiment/IvETnYtk">anti-China sentiment</a> and anxiety regarding the country's economic and military development.
Canadian views on China have cooled considerably. Only 14% of Canadians view the country favourably, according to polling conducted in early 2021. Moreover, according to a 2021 poll by Maru Public Opinion, 52% of Canadians view China as the nation's "biggest foreign threat" and believe a <a href="/facts/Second_Cold_War/XFfgK8wK">Second Cold War</a> between the United States and China has already begun.

Canada–China relations open-in-new

Canada–China relations