Canada’s Carney to Meet China’s Xi at APEC, Says He’s Ready to Talk Trade with Trump

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Monday that he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week at the APEC summit and is open to holding trade talks with U.S. President Donald Trump whenever Washington is ready.

On his first official visit to Asia, Carney is seeking to deepen trade and security ties at a time when Canada is reassessing its foreign policy to reduce its heavy dependence on the United States and explore new markets.

While expressing willingness to engage with the U.S., Carney emphasized that he would reject any trade deal not aligned with the best interests of Canadians. “We’re ready to sit down with the United States — with the president, with my colleagues, with their colleagues — whenever they’re ready for talks,” he told reporters at the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur.

Trump announced last Thursday that he was halting trade discussions with Canada after a political ad in Ontario used a quote from former U.S. President Ronald Reagan warning that tariffs could lead to trade wars and economic damage. On Saturday, Trump followed up by imposing an additional 10% tariff on Canadian goods.

Carney said he has not been in contact with Trump since Thursday but has made it clear that he remains available for dialogue.

“We’ll both be at APEC,” Carney added, confirming that he will also hold talks with President Xi during the summit.

Trump, who departed Malaysia earlier on Monday, told reporters he does not plan to meet Carney during his Asia trip, though both leaders are expected to attend the APEC summit later this week.