Justin Trudeau kicks off summit in China, visits Sina Weibo headquarters

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has kicked off his four-day visit to China with a visit to the headquarters of Sina Weibo – the country’s largest social media company that has become even more popular than Twitter.

Trudeau took part in a panel discussion hosted by the microblogging company, largely focusing on promoting Canada as a tourist destination within China.

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During the discussions, Trudeau also spoke about a potential trade agreement with China, something that has seen continual speculation, particularly with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) currently up in the air.

“We believe that done properly, a trade agreement will benefit both countries, creating jobs, strengthening the middle class and growing our economies,” Trudeau said. “It's an opportunity that makes sense for Canadian businesses. Canada is and always has been a trading nation, but the landscape of trade is shifting and we need to adjust to it.”

Trudeau’s visit comes as plane manufacturer Bombardier looks to secure an order from Chinese carriers for its CSeries jet. However, the potential for such a deal has looked increasingly unlikely since the company sold its controlling stake in the CSeries programme to Airbus over a Chinese firm.