Eby says he will sell B.C. as ‘stable jurisdiction’ during trade trip to China

By Canadian Press on March 20, 2026.

VICTORIA — A trade delegation headed by British Columbia Premier David Eby will travel to China later this year in an effort to drum up business for the province.

The premier says the trip will focus on deepening trade relations around agriculture and energy, but he did not provide a timeline or other details.

Eby’s trip to China comes after Prime Minister Mark Carney visited the country in January, when he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and signed trade deals around Chinese-made EVs and Canadian canola.

Eby says the mission to China will deliver the same message as his trip to India earlier this year, which is that B.C. is a “stable jurisdiction in a very unstable time.”

The premier says the province’s “calling card” is being a “predictable” place that consistently builds things to the highest possible standard.

Figures from the provincial government show China was the second-largest export market for B.C. products in 2024 at 15.6 per cent, behind the United States with almost 53 per cent.

Japan is the third most important market with 10.4 per cent, followed by South Korea with 6.6 per cent and India with 2.3 per cent.

The last B.C. premier to travel to China was John Horgan in 2018, when he visited the country as part of a 10-day-tour that also included stops in South Korea and Japan.

Eby’s trip will take place during thawing relationships between China and Canada as both countries are experiencing trade tensions with the United States under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

It also comes after BC Ferries announced last June that it hired a shipyard owned by the Chinese state to build four new large ferries.

BC Ferries also received a $1 billion loan from the Canada Infrastructure Bank to help pay for the new ferries.

Both the decision to contract a Chinese shipyard for the ferries and the federal government’s loan for their purchase received criticism last summer.

BC Ferries said then that no Canadian companies bid for the contract.

At the time, Eby acknowledged reservations about the decision, but said the ferries were needed and that reopening the bidding process would lead to additional costs.

He also promised that B.C. would work with the federal government and industry to ensure that future ferries would be built in B.C.