Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney departs for China on Tuesday, where he will discuss trade and international security at a time when Canada faces uncertain relations with the US due to a trade war and annexation threats from President Donald Trump, Reuters reported. 

It is the first visit to Beijing by a Canadian prime minister since 2017 and could mark a critical shift in ties between the two countries as Canada seeks new trade and security partnerships.

Carney agreed to visit China last October when he and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in South Korea. It was an encounter that offered no breakthroughs but suggested potential for deeper ties after a fractious relationship under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, which had soured after Canada arrested the chief financial officer of Chinese firm Huawei in 2018, according to Reuters.