On the final day of its annual general meeting, the Canadian government addressed the United Nations while Prime Minister Mark Carney was present as an audience member for much of the previous week.
Last week, Carney noted that he had been using the opportunity to “meet with CEOs and world leaders in an ongoing effort to diversify Canada’s trade and economic opportunities.” His most notable meeting in New York was with China’s Prime Minister and Communist leader Xi Jinping, which Carney described as a “heartfelt incident” on social media.
On Monday, however, it was Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand who took the stage, delivering a speech filled with well-worn phrases about the multilateral system. She reaffirmed Canada’s decision to recognize “Palestine” as a nation, stating it was “under threat.”
In her bilingual English and French address, Anand cautioned that “some countries see protectionism and unilateralism” but refrained from naming any specific nation. She also mentioned that “the geopolitical landscape is unstable all over the world.”
She affirmed that Canada, as an “innovative leader,” would not shy away from the global agenda and would strive for collaboration with friendly nations.
“Canada is a stable and reliable partner in both business and collective security,” she asserted, emphasizing the need for cooperation in protecting the environment, promoting democracy, and championing human rights and gender equality.
Anand concluded her speech with an inspiring quote from former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, focusing on two foreign policy issues: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing Israeli-Hamas conflict.
Despite Anand’s attempts, there seemed to be little excitement generated, especially after Carney had attended earlier in the week and left before the Canadian representatives spoke. Much of the focus during Canada’s participation at the UN General Assembly appeared to be on Carney’s meetings with Li Qiang. Carney, who took over as Prime Minister following Justin Trudeau’s resignation, previously served as a senior executive at Brookfield Asset Management, a company known for its close business dealings with China. In late 2024, prior to Trudeau’s exit, Carney had visited China representing Brookfield, declaring it a prime spot for foreign investment, which appears contrary to various economic data showing China’s failure to rebound post-pandemic from its 2020 crises.
Reports indicated that Brookfield executives were optimistic about investment prospects in China, reportedly securing a favorable loan for their operations shortly after Carney’s return.
Separately, the Canadian Elections and Intelligence Election Threat site revealed in April that Carney was under scrutiny for “coordinated non-enforcement behavior” related to China’s WeChat, a platform widely used by many Chinese Canadians. An internal review suggested the propaganda had no significant impact on the election.
Following his discussions with Prime Minister Li, Carney’s positivity about China remained apparent.
He expressed hopes of fostering a “constructive and practical dialogue” to ensure mutual prosperity between Canada and China.
After the conference, the Canadian Prime Minister’s Office highlighted “recent productive involvement” between Canada and China and noted that Ottawa would continue friendly outreach to the communist regime.
Amid rising tensions from President Trump’s tariffs on unrelated countries, Carney faces a barrage of tariffs from Beijing on Canadian goods, including a staggering 75.8% tariff on Canadian canola oil, among others. In turn, Canada has implemented a 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles.
Post-meeting with Li, Carney shared his desire to meet Xi Jinping directly, stating, “I hope to meet President Xi Jinping at the right time,” while praising his discussion with Li as “constructive.”
Chinese state media soon cast doubt on Carney’s optimism, suggesting Canada operates under the influence of the U.S. While portraying Carney as a more “practical” leader compared to Trudeau, who was openly supportive of China’s regime, the Global Times questioned, “Can Canada truly escape the shadows of the U.S.?”
The publication hoped for Canada to forge its own fair policies towards China based on national interests rather than following the U.S. blindly. It highlighted potential areas for cooperation between Beijing and Ottawa, especially in energy and agriculture.
Carney was present at President Trump’s gathering on Tuesday but did not engage in personal meetings that week.
