China and Canada have distinct historical and cultural backgrounds, yet cooperation and mutual benefit should be the main themes of their relationship.

Under the former Canadian government, however, the relationship faced numerous challenges, mainly due to its aligning the country with the United States in its China policy.

Since the Mark Carney government took office and signaled a change of approach, relations have gradually improved. This warming momentum has been steady after Carney's visit to China in January. During the visit, the two sides signed multiple economic and trade cooperation documents in agriculture, new materials, clean energy, finance and education.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi is scheduled to pay a three-day visit to Canada starting Thursday. The visit, the first by a Chinese foreign minister to Canada in a decade, is expected to help advance the implementation of the agreements reached during Carney's visit, including the resumption of the China-Canada high-level economic and financial strategic dialogue, and consultations on trade issues involving electric vehicles and canola seeds. The visit is also anticipated to facilitate further progress on Canada's previously announced plan to increase direct flights between the two countries, thereby enhancing bilateral economic, trade and people-to-people exchanges.

The breadth and depth of Sino-Canadian cooperation constitute a solid foundation to build on. In 2025, the total trade volume between China and Canada reached 124.09 billion Canadian dollars ($89.86 billion), with China consistently ranking as Canada's second-largest trading partner.

The two economies are also complementary. China, as one of the world's largest consumer markets, has a growing demand for Canada's agricultural products, energy resources and premium consumer goods, while Canada benefits from access to the superlarge Chinese market.

More importantly, China and Canada have the potential to jointly advance their new strategic partnership. The essence of a new strategic partnership lies in transcending ideological differences and geopolitical disputes, focusing on the common well-being of both peoples, and striving to advance the global governance system in a more just and equitable direction. China and Canada have the responsibility and capability to strengthen coordination and cooperation on major issues such as upholding multilateralism, addressing climate change and promoting global economic recovery.

Wang's visit can help enhance mutual understanding, which is crucial for the healthy development of bilateral relations. As the Chinese side stressed, the two sides should become partners that help each other achieve success and develop together. They should do more to promote cooperation and reduce items on the "negative list".

China looks forward to the visit enhancing political trust with Canada, expanding mutually beneficial cooperation, properly managing differences and promoting Sino-Canadian relations along a healthy, stable and sustainable trajectory for the betterment of both peoples, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

As long as the two countries uphold the principles of mutual respect and equality, advance cooperation with a pragmatic attitude, and foster trust with a broad-minded approach, they can indeed become reliable partners.

However, it is imperative for Ottawa to pursue a consistent China policy grounded in mutual respect and strategic autonomy.

Canada should maintain an objective and rational stance on China-related issues within multilateral mechanisms such as the G7 and NATO, and resist attempts to transform economic and security platforms into tools of bloc confrontation and geopolitical rivalry.

In particular, Ottawa should refrain from sending any erroneous signals to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces.

Likewise, disputes in the South China Sea should be peacefully resolved by directly concerned regional parties through dialogue and consultation. As a non-regional country, Canada should avoid actions that risk complicating the regional situation, heightening tensions, or undermining mutual trust among regional countries.