Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping began talks in Beijing on Friday, January 16, marking the first meeting between the countries’ leaders in China’s capital in eight years. Carney lauded a “new strategic partnership” between the two countries after he arrived for the talks at the Great Hall of the People.

Following President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariffs on Canadian products, Carney has sought to reduce his country’s economic reliance on its main market, the United States.

Carney told Xi that “together, we can build the best of what this relationship has been in the past to create a new one.”

“Agriculture, energy, finance, that’s where we can make the most immediate progress,” he added.

Xi welcomed Carney and his delegation, saying that China-Canada relations were at a turning point after their last meeting at an APAC summit in October.

“It can be said that our meeting last year opened a new chapter in turning China-Canada relations toward improvement,” Xi told Carney.

“The healthy and stable development of China-Canada relations serves the common interests of our two countries,” he said, adding he was “glad” to see discussions over the last few months to restore cooperation.

Officials from both countries have been in talks to lower tariffs, but an agreement has yet to be reached.

Carney, who on Thursday met with Premier Li Qiang, is also scheduled to hold talks with business leaders to discuss trade.