Canada is seeking to arrange a meeting between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the upcoming summit in South Korea, according to a senior Canadian government official.

Carney, who has emphasised the importance of re-establishing broad engagement with China after a period of strained relations, is scheduled to attend the APEC summit in Seoul. Last week, he stated that he expected to meet senior Chinese leaders in the coming month.

“We’re hoping there will be a meeting and will plan accordingly … we would like to see a meeting at APEC if possible,” a senior government official said when asked about a possible meeting with Xi.

Trade tensions remain between the two countries. In August, China imposed preliminary anti-dumping duties on Canadian canola imports, following Canada’s decision last year to introduce a 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles.

Senior officials from both sides held discussions last Friday regarding the canola and electric vehicle disputes, though Ottawa indicated there was no immediate progress.