Following the United States’ warning to apply 100% tariffs on Canadian goods should the deal be finalized, China stated on Monday that a preliminary trade agreement with Canada “does not target any third parties.”
Beijing is anticipated to lower duties on Canadian canola imports and allow Canadians to enter China without a visa as part of the agreement, which was revealed last month.
However, the United States, Canada’s longstanding friend, vowed over the weekend to levy 100% tariffs on Canadian exports if the deal were to forward, claiming it would enable China to “dump goods.”
Guo Jiakun, a spokeswoman for China’s foreign ministry, stated on Monday that Washington was not the target of the trade agreement.
At a routine press briefing, Guo Jiakun, a spokeswoman for China’s foreign ministry, stated, “China and Canada have established a new type of strategic partnership… it does not target any third party.”
“China encourages countries to approach state-to-state relations through cooperation rather than confrontation and with a win-win rather than zero-sum mindset,” he continued.
In an effort to disassociate himself from the unstable United States under President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney revealed the agreement during his visit to Beijing this month.
Since the Trump administration put import taxes on its northern neighbor, the United States and Canada have been embroiled in a trade war.
Trump said on social media on Sunday that talks between Beijing and Ottawa amounted to China “successfully and completely taking over the once Great Country of Canada.”
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned US media that “we can’t let Canada become an opening that the Chinese pour their cheap goods into the US” in response to the president’s remarks.
