China and Canada issued a joint statement of bilateral leaders' meeting on Friday during Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's official visit to China from Wednesday to Saturday. Both countries are committed to strengthening exchanges at all levels and advancing outcomes in multiple areas.
The two sides first stressed their focus on macroeconomic engagement, vowing to reinvigorate the high-level China-Canada Economic and Financial Strategic Dialogue, which will address a wide range of issues to strengthen economic relations.
They also expressed commitment to economic and trade cooperation as the China-Canada Economic and Trade Cooperation Roadmap has been signed to expand bilateral trade and strengthen two-way investment.
Energy cooperation is high on the two countries' agenda after they have agreed to support exchanges in clean energy and strengthen cooperation in conventional energy including oil and gas resource development. In the field of finance, China and Canada have welcomed the establishment of a financial working group to enhance bilateral engagement.
With regard to public security and safety, the two sides remain committed to strengthening law enforcement cooperation to combat corruption and transnational crimes. People-to-people ties and cultural exchanges are also among the priorities, with both nations pledging to engage in deeper cooperation in culture, education, arts, heritage, and creative industries.
China and Canada have reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism, supporting the central role of the UN in international affairs, safeguarding and improving the rules-based multilateral trading system underpinned by the World Trade Organization, and keeping global industrial and supply chains stable and smooth.
China-Canada joint statement commits to strengthening exchanges
China-Canada joint statement commits to strengthening exchanges
China's 15th Five-Year Plan proposal sends a strong signal of the country's commitment to upholding openness and cooperation, which will promote further development for the country and the world, said officials and scholars around the world.
The draft 15th Five-Year Plan, the blueprint that will guide the world's second-largest economy from 2026 to 2030, is central to steer China to move toward modernization amid technological disruption, demographic shifts and an increasingly fractured global order, according to the scholars.
"China's 15th Five-Year Plan is not a rigid model; it is more like benchmarks for growth targets and focal points. Chinese economists and economic decision-makers are not just focusing on qualitative growth, but also on innovative development. We're witnessing new transportation methods, robotics and artificial intelligence," said Andrey Denisov, first deputy chair of Russia's Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs and former Russian Ambassador to China.
"The 15th Five-Year Plan is of great importance to China's development. The country is poised to make remarkable advancements in various sectors, including artificial intelligence, high-end manufacturing and infrastructure construction. Given the shifting global context and China's transition towards high-quality development, I am confident that this plan will herald a new era for China's development," said Kamel Mansari, news director of the French-language daily Le Jeune Independent.
Scholars also noted that China's commitment to high-quality development and high-level opening-up will promote win-win results and benefit the world.
"China has emerged as a key partner for most countries worldwide, and a preferred partner due to its closeness and integration with global communities, as well as its strong humanitarian perspective. The Chinese economy has not only benefited itself; it has helped many economies worldwide flourish through its partnerships," said Dirgham Muhammad Ali, an Iraqi economic expert.
China's National People's Congress (NPC) is scheduled to open in Beijing on Wednesday, with lawmakers set to approve the 15th Five-Year Plan.
15th Five-Year Plan to guide China's development, benefit world: scholars
