Beijing is looking to improve relations with Ottawa. Should Canada play ball?

Beijing is seeking to improve relations with Ottawa after years of diplomatic unease, and though it’s not clear whether Canada is ready to play ball, some experts say there are practical reasons to look for better co-operation.

“The strained relations between our two countries is actually not what we would like to see,” China’s ambassador to Canada, Cong Peiwu, said in a recent interview.

“We can be engaged in a candid and constructive dialogue.”

This year has already marked an uptick in high-level talks.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly had a lengthy call with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in January, followed by a February meeting in Germany. They only had a brief conversation in 2023.

In both meetings, China laid out its demands for better relations, including “correct cognition,” or Canada accepting responsibility for causing diplomatic strain — as Cong put it, “the responsibility does not lie with China.”

Beijing also wants “mutual respect,” which would include not recognizing an independent Taiwan, and “win-win co-operation,” which means fewer trade and science restrictions.

Relations are already in the gutter, noted Carleton University professor Jeremy Paltiel, who specializes in Canada-China relations.

“The Chinese are saying, ‘You’re offering nothing, so why should we play ball? If you’re just gonna show up to criticize, then we’re not interested,'” he said.

Paltiel said it would be tricky for Ottawa to find something to work together on that won’t rile up the Canadian public or the U.S. government. Both increasingly think about scientific research through security or intellectual-property lenses, he said.

Still, Beijing’s priorities could be leveraged into something that is useful for Canada, he suggested.

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