Mélanie Joly's surprise visit to China is first by Canadian foreign minister in 7 years

Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is in China on an unannounced visit to thaw relations between the two countries, the first such face-to-face talks in Beijing by a Canadian foreign minister in nearly seven years.

Joly will be the most senior Canadian official to visit China since 2017 — aimed at repairing deteriorating ties between Ottawa and Beijing after two Canadians were detained in China, which Canada maintains were arbitrary, and recent reports of alleged Chinese political interference in this country.

She is in China at Wang Yi's invitation, the Chinese foreign ministry said. Wang is China's foreign minister and a director of the all-powerful Communist Party of China's Central Committee.

The two will meet on Friday.

In a statement, Joly's office says the ministers will «discuss possible avenues for collaboration on common challenges» and will also «exchange views on concrete ways to enhance the already deep ties between the people of Canada and China.»

«As the world faces increasingly complex and intersecting global issues, Canada is committed to engaging pragmatically with a wide range of countries to advance our national interests and uphold our values,» Joly said in a statement provided by her office. «As described in Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy, we must maintain open lines of communication and use diplomacy to challenge where we ought to, while seeking co-operation in areas that matter most to Canadians.

»I look forward to a productive meeting," the statement concludes.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told journalists in his regular briefing Thursday that Joly and Wang «will have in-depth communication on China-Canada relations and issues of common concern to promote the improvement