BEIJING -- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Beijing on Wednesday night, beginning a four-day visit designed to repair foundering relations between the two nations as Canada looks to develop relations with countries other than the United States.

Carney's visit to China has been welcomed by the business community as a sign of renewed engagement between the two countries, according to Bijan Ahmadi, executive director and chief operating officer of the Canada China Business Council.

A red carpet lined with a military guard, a small girl offering flowers and no other fanfare marked the beginning of the first official visit of a Canadian prime minister

Canada was one of the first Western countries to recognize communist China, establishing ties in 1970 under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.

A primer on Mark Carney’s high stakes trip to Beijing, and how the U.S. and China – two problematic superpowers – have him walking a diplomatic tightrope.

China bought fewer goods from Canada last year for the first time since 2020, according to Chinese data released hours before a visit by the Canadian prime minister, in a stark reminder of the economic leverage Beijing has over Ottawa.