Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng will meet Canadian finance and trade officials in Vancouver Nov. 8-9, as Ottawa and Beijing pursue economic cooperation amid $125.7 billion in bilateral goods trade last year.
The Department of Finance Canada announced Nov. 4 that Minister of Finance and National Revenue François-Philippe Champagne and Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu will welcome He during the two-day program. The agenda includes the Canada-China Economic and Financial Strategic Dialogue (EFSD). Bank of Canada Gov. Tiff Macklem and Superintendent of Financial Institutions Peter Routledge are also expected to take part.
The department put two-way merchandise trade at $125.7 billion for 2025. Canada exported $35 billion in goods to China and imported $90.6 billion. China was Canada's No. 2 global customer for agricultural, forestry and seafood products, with sales of about $10.2 billion last year.
Recent contacts also include Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to Canada in May and Champagne's trip to China in April. Sidhu is traveling in China this week, EconoTimes reported in its coverage of the trade visit. Prime Minister Mark Carney's January trip to Beijing was the first by a Canadian prime minister since 2017. During that visit, Carney announced an updated Canada-China Strategic Partnership.
The countries have maintained diplomatic relations for more than 55 years, with ties spanning trade, investment, environmental work, education and culture, the department said. It also cited more than 1.7 million Canadian residents of Chinese origin as part of the people-to-people connection. Finance Canada said the talks support a broader effort to strengthen the Canadian economy's resilience while keeping engagement with a major trade partner constructive.
The Vancouver visit is scheduled for Nov. 8-9.
