Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng Meets Canada-China Business Council Leader

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met with André Desmarais, Honorary Chairman of the Canada-China Business Council, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on September 9. He welcomed Canadian companies to participate in China's high-quality development and urged the council to serve as a bridge for bilateral trade ties. In response, Desmarais stated that the Canadian business community retains confidence in China's economic outlook and pledged continued support for stable, healthy economic relations, according to official reports from Xinhua and People's Daily.

Against a backdrop of complex international trade dynamics, Beijing's outreach to influential Western commercial figures demonstrates a sustained effort to stabilize foreign business sentiment. Engaging non-governmental business groups provides Chinese economic policymakers with a practical platform to advocate market openness, encourage foreign investment, and preserve functional economic ties across jurisdictions.

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met with André Desmarais, Honorary Chairman of the Canada-China Business Council (CCBC), on the afternoon of September 9 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, according to state media reports published by Xinhua and People's Daily. He Lifeng, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, highlighted bilateral consensus reached earlier in the year. He stated that Chinese President Xi Jinping had met with the Canadian prime minister in January, during which both sides agreed to promote the construction of a new type of strategic partnership, establishing fresh strategic guidance for the forward development of bilateral ties. During the meeting, He emphasized that China welcomes Canadian enterprises to share in the development opportunities generated by China's pursuit of high-quality economic growth. He called on the Canada-China Business Council to continue playing its role as a commercial bridge and to make greater contributions to the ongoing development of China-Canada economic and trade relations. Desmarais remarked that the Canadian business community maintains full confidence in China's economic prospects, according to the official readout. He added that the Canada-China Business Council remains willing to assist in fostering the healthy and stable development of bilateral economic and trade relations between the two countries. The encounter forms part of a broader series of meetings between senior Chinese economic leadership and international corporate executives and trade bodies. As global trade environments face uncertainty and geopolitical complexities persist, Beijing has consistently utilized direct dialogue with cross-border business organizations to signal market continuity, reinforce regulatory reassurances, and sustain institutionalized trade dialogue.