KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week and is also ready to sit down for trade talks with Donald Trump as soon as the U.S. President is prepared
to do so, he said on Monday.
On his first official visit to Asia, Carney is attempting to deepen trade and security ties at a time when the North American country is struggling to reduce its overwhelming dependence on the United States and redefine its foreign policy to pursue of new markets.
While he is open to further talks with the United States, he will reject any trade deal that is not in the best interest of Canadians, he told reporters on the sidelines of an ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur.
Last Thursday, Trump announced he was cutting off trade talks with Canada after an Ontario political ad used a snippet of Republican icon and former President Ronald Reagan saying tariffs cause trade wars and economic disaster.
Trump also announced an additional 10% tariffs on goods from Canada on Saturday.
Carney said he has not been in contact with Trump since Thursday, but has let the United States President know that he is available.
"We stand ready to sit down with the United States, myself, with the President, my colleagues, with their colleagues, when the U.S. is ready to sit down," Carney said.
"We will both be at APEC," he added. He is also set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC meeting.
Trump, who flew out of Malaysia on Monday morning, has said he does not intend to meet with Carney on his Asian trip. Both men are due to attend the APEC summit later this week.
(Reporting by Xinghui Kok; Editing by David Stanway)
