Pengfei, Canadian Diplomatic ministe
Author: Antin Oman
Under the backdrop of a crisis in the relationship between Ottawa and Beijing, Canada's diplomatic minister announced Friday that Canada had abandoned the idea of a free trade agreement with China, AFP reported Friday.
Canada's diplomatic minister, Pengfei, explained in an interview with the Global Mail on Friday that China in 2020 is no longer 2016.
Agence France-Presse said a free trade agreement with China was one of Canada's top priorities when Prime Minister Trudeau took office in 2015. Since Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Vancouver on December 1,2018, and two Canadians were arrested in China a few days later, negotiations on a free trade agreement between Canada and China began on thin ice in 2016.
Canadian diplomatic minister, Pengfei, also stressed Beijing's sanctions diplomacy in an interview. He believes that the conditions for negotiations to continue are not ripe. Com said Canada's priority is to send two Canadians arrest in China back to their homes.
Agence France-Presse also noted that Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau and Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang launched exploratory negotiations on a free trade agreement between the two countries in September 2016. China is Canada's second-largest trading partner, and trade between the two countries is growing despite the recent coldness of their diplomatic relationship and a new crown.
