Carney off to China, Qatar and Davos to court investment, mend fences with Beijing

Prime Minister Mark Carney left Tuesday for a nine-day trip that will see him circle the globe to drum up investment and trade in three places that have attracted the scrutiny of voters. His visit to Beijing — the first trip to China by a sitting prime minister in more than eight years — will be followed by a stop in Qatar and a visit to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. Dylan Loh, a professor at NTU in Singapore who focuses on China's foreign policy, said Beijing will expect "less antagonistic" public statements from Ottawa. Loh said while China is grappling with its own economic woes, Beijing knows Canada is even more hungry for trading partners. "It makes completely perfect sense to try to cultivate, to deepen, to normalise the relationship," he said. "This will not, in my view, be cost-free. They will want something in return."

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