NEW YORK, January 25. /TASS/. China plans to strengthen its economic relations with Canada within the framework of a strategic partnership, the Chinese embassy in Ottawa told The Globe and Mail newspaper, commenting on US President Donald Trump's threats to impose 100% tariffs on Canada.

"The sound and steady growth of China-Canada relations serves the common interests of the two countries·and contributes to peace, stability, development and prosperity in·the world," the embassy said in a statement.

Earlier, Trump promised to impose 100% tariffs on Canada if it concludes a trade deal with China. The US president believes that Canada could become a "drop-off port for China to send goods and products into the United States."

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, whom Trump called "governor" on his Truth Social page, issued a response. In a video message posted on his X page, Carney did not directly mention the US or Trump. "With our economy under threat from abroad, Canadians have made a choice: to focus on what we can control," he noted. "We can't control what other nations do. We can be our own best customer. We’ll buy Canadian. We'll build Canadian," the prime minister emphasized.

In January, Canada and China announced a strategic economic partnership. According to The Globe and Mail, during his visit to China, the Canadian prime minister said that China is a more predictable trading partner than the US As part of the agreement, Carney permitted the import of nearly 50,000 Chinese electric vehicles into Canada at a low tariff rate. Previously, cars from China were subject to a 100% tariff in Canada, which Ottawa introduced in 2024 alongside the US under President Joe Biden. In response to Canada's concessions, China reduced tariffs on rapeseed. The Chinese Commerce Ministry reported that Beijing and Ottawa had reached a consensus on settling mutual trade claims and agreed to expand economic cooperation.