Beijing: The foreign ministers of Canada and Sweden, along with the French president's diplomatic adviser, are set to embark on official two-day visits to China this week, as outlined in a statement released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.

According to Anadolu Agency, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard's visits are scheduled for Thursday and Friday, at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Additionally, Emmanuel Bonne, the diplomatic adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron, will visit Beijing from Wednesday to Thursday as part of the China-France strategic dialogue. This dialogue is a continuation of the longstanding diplomatic relationship between China and France, which began in 1964. The bilateral trade between the two nations has grown to approximately $79 billion.

The visits by these Western officials occur amidst an ongoing tariff war initiated by the United States, affecting global trade dynamics. Both China and Canada are among the countries engaged in negotiations with the US administration to secure individual trade agreements. Notably, Canada and China have had a complex relationship since establishing diplomatic ties in 1970, marked by economic exchanges totaling over $67 billion last year, despite ongoing trade disputes.

The bilateral tensions escalated in 2018 following the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Canada on US bank fraud charges, leading to China's detention of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor on espionage allegations. All parties have since been released, contributing to an improvement in Sino-Canadian relations.

Swedish Foreign Minister Stenergard's visit coincides with the commemoration of 75 years of diplomatic relations between China and Sweden, highlighting the significance of these meetings in fostering international cooperation and dialogue.