China seeks improved ties with Canada amid rising trade tensions

China called on Friday for steps to improve bilateral ties with Canada, saying there were no deepseated conflicts of interest, following a spike in trade tensions with many of Beijing’s Western trade partners this year.

China is willing to work with Canada to put ties on a healthy and stable path and find solutions to address each other’s concerns through enhanced dialogue, Premier Li Qiang told Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in a phone call on Friday, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.