Carney to visit China and Switzerland in a bid to diversify Canada’s trade

Carney met Xi in October on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific summit in South Korea. Photo: Mark Carney/X

Ottawa/IBNS-CMEDIA: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to China and Switzerland later this month as part of efforts to diversify Canada’s trade and strengthen economic resilience, his office said Friday.

Carney will visit the People’s Republic of China from January 13 to 17, 2026, where he is scheduled to meet President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang, and other government and business leaders.

Their talks will focus on trade, energy, agriculture and international security.

The visit follows Carney’s first official meeting with Xi in October and marks the first trip to China by a Canadian prime minister since 2017.

From January 19 to 21, Carney will travel to Davos, Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting.

Carney said the trips reflect the government’s push to reduce reliance on a single trade partner and expand non-U.S. exports and attract new investment amid global economic uncertainty.

“At a time of global trade disruption, Canada is focused on building a more competitive, sustainable, and independent economy,” Carney said.

“We’re forging new partnerships around the world to transform our economy from one that has been reliant on a single trade partner to one that is stronger and more resilient to global shocks,” he further stated.

The trips will be Carney’s first official visit to China and his first appearance at the World Economic Forum as prime minister.

(Reporting by Suman Das)