Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, on Monday said Canada is “renewing” its relationship with China after Beijing announced visa-free travel for Canadian citizens, describing the move as a significant step in a new phase of bilateral engagement.
“We’re renewing Canada’s relationship with China. As part of our new strategic partnership, China is granting visa-free travel for Canadians,” Carney wrote on the US-based social media platform X, calling the decision a concrete indication of improving relations.
China’s Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday that holders of ordinary passports from Canada and the United Kingdom will be eligible for visa-free entry beginning February 17, 2026.
The measure allows stays of up to 30 days for business, tourism, family visits, exchanges and transit.
“To further facilitate cross-border travel, China decides to, starting from February 17, 2026, extend its visa waiver policy to ordinary passport holders from Canada and the UK,” the ministry said, adding that the arrangement will remain in place until December 31, 2026.
The announcement follows Carney’s January trip to Beijing, where he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and “welcomed [the president’s] commitment to introducing visa-free access for Canadians travelling to China,” according to a statement issued by the prime minister’s office.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer secured agreements focused on people-to-people exchanges during a separate visit to China.
Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said on X that the new arrangement is making “travel easier, supporting business exchanges, and strengthening people-to-people ties between our countries.”
The visa waiver represents a notable shift after several years of strained diplomatic relations, during which China maintained visa requirements for Canadian nationals and limited Chinese tour groups visiting Canada. Previously, most Canadian travelers were required to complete a lengthy application process and pay fees of approximately $140 to obtain entry visas.
The renewed diplomatic engagement has also unfolded alongside wider economic discussions, including an agreement permitting tens of thousands of Chinese electric vehicles to enter the Canadian market in exchange for tariff concessions on Canadian agricultural exports such as canola seeds.
In recent years, China has broadened visa-free access to several Western countries as part of efforts to boost tourism and revive international travel following the COVID-19 pandemic.
