Overview
- Canada and China signed a joint statement in Beijing to deepen financial‑sector cooperation after meetings between Finance Minister François‑Philippe Champagne and top Chinese officials.
- Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem joined Champagne alongside senior leaders from Manulife, Sun Life, BMO Wealth, Canada’s big banks, Brookfield, Mackenzie, and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.
- The talks centered on letting Canadian banks secure more licences in China and on improving access to Chinese bond markets so exporters can finance sales more easily.
- Key trade barriers remain in place as Canadian pork still faces a 25 percent surtax and Champagne said he pressed labour standards and supply‑chain integrity in each meeting.
- The visit follows January’s reset that lowered tariffs on up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles in return for eased canola and seafood tariffs, yet Canada continues to run a large goods trade gap with China.