Trudeau begins first visit to China to boost bilateral ties

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau began on Tuesday his first official visit to China to improve economic ties and boost bilateral relations, at a time when the Canadian economy contracted 1.5 percent in the second quarter of 2016.

Trudeau will be in China from today until Sept. 6, and will visit the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Hangzhou, where he will participate in the G20 summit on Sunday and Monday next week.

The Canadian prime minister is accompanied by his wife Sophie Gregorie Trudeau and daughter EllaGrace, as well as a government delegation that includes Foreign Minister Stephane Dion, Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland and Finance Minister Bill Morneau.

During his visit, Trudeau is expected to push trade ties with China and discuss a possible free trade agreement, as well as the eventual inclusion of Canada in the Chinaled Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

He is also likely to discuss the human rights situation in China and the difficulties faced by people, who hold a double citizenship in the country.

Trudeau is also expected to meet Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, eretail giant Alibaba’s founder Jack Ma, Hong Kong multimillionaire Li KaShing, a shareholder in Canadabased Husky Energy, among others.

Trudeau’s job, however, won’t be easy as ties between the two countries have been strained since 2012, when the Canadian government, led by Stephen Harper, imposed measures to restrict acquisition of oil sand companies after China National OffShore Oil Corp. agreed to purchase Canada’s Nexen.

Beijing, on its part, imposed strict restrictions on import of rapeseed oil from Canada, which it is expected to further strengthen in September.

Canada is also among the seven countries that came together to express concern over China’s claims in the South China Sea, which further upset Beijing.

Trudeau, whose father, former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, made Canada among the first western powers to establish diplomatic relations with Beijing in 1970, said before his visit that he hopes his visit will start the process of rekindling bilateral ties.

China is Canada’s second largest trade partner after the United States.