Michael Kovrig, a former Canadian diplomat and Chinese detainee, weighed in on Canada’s newly announced trade arrangements with China following Prime Minister Mark Carney’s meetings with President Xi Jinping this week. Prime Minister Mark Carney is presented with flowers from Lu You Ci, 11, as he is officially welcomed to Beijing, China on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. relations under strain, the General Secretary smelled blood in the water and seized a moment of increased leverage,” Kovrig wrote. Kovrig also took issue with the optics of the visit, writing on another post with a video of Carney and Jinping shaking hands: “Diplomacy is necessary. This is not a good look.”Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary.

Source: National Post January 19, 2026 13:41 UTC