China's foreign ministry stated that the country will uphold bilateral relations with Canada based on mutual respect and equality, following Mark Carney's victory in the race to lead Canada's ruling party and potentially become the next prime minister.
Carney, a former central banker without prior political experience, secured the leadership with 86% of the votes on Sunday, replacing Justin Trudeau who stepped down in January.
During a routine press briefing on Monday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning congratulated Carney and encouraged Canada to collaborate with China to enhance their relations.
Mao emphasized the importance of Canada maintaining an objective and rational perspective towards China and adopting a constructive and practical approach.
Carney's win coincided with Beijing's recent announcement of imposing tariffs on over $2.6 billion worth of Canadian agricultural and food products in response to tariffs imposed by Ottawa last October.
Mao justified China's retaliatory actions as "legitimate and reasonable," urging Canada to rectify its policies to create a fair, non-discriminatory, and predictable business environment for both nations.