On the evening of April 23, 2026, the Institute of International and Strategic Studies (IISS), Peking University (PKU) successfully held the 97^th "North Pavilion Seminar" lecture series themed "What Does Forward Look Like? Canada, China and a Ruptured World Order." The lecture was delivered by Paul Evans, Professor Emeritus at the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, University of British Columbia, Canada, and chaired by Associate Professor Gui Yongtao, Vice President of IISS, PKU.

Professor Evans began by recalling that, since 2025, shaped by shifts in the international landscape and guided by Canada's new Prime Minister Mark Carney, Canada has shifted its strategic posture toward an emphasis on autonomy, and China-Canada relations have markedly warmed. This was epitomized by the speech Carney delivered at the Davos forum in early 2026. In that speech, Carney stressed that, under the influence of the United States, the world order had already ruptured; that Canada needed to become more independent; and that it should unite the strength of the middle powers and seek common interests with other countries in its external relations.

Professor Evans then suggested that Carney's visit to China, which "reset" China-Canada relations, was an important manifestation of this strategic shift. During Carney's visit, China-Canada relations were elevated to a "new Strategic Partnership," with progress made on two fronts: first, the bilateral relationship moved in the direction of shelving disagreements and seeking common interests; and second, China and Canada agreed to jointly uphold international multilateral mechanisms, enabling China to contribute to the world order together with the middle powers.

Professor Evans further argued that the meeting between the Chinese and Canadian leaders affirmed the importance of rebuilding trust between nations. Carney indicated that trust between China and Canada could be built in two ways: first, through mutual respect, including respect for each other's systems; and second, through reliability — China has already demonstrated that it is a reliable partner in areas such as China-Canada commercial cooperation and university exchanges.

Finally, Professor Evans pointed out that the Carney government's China policy also faces resistance at home — from parliament, industry, and within the government itself. Going forward, China and Canada should move toward each other and advance economic and people-to-people exchanges to a higher level, providing further momentum for the continued improvement of China-Canada relations.

During the interactive session, Professor Evans engaged in an in-depth exchange with the faculty and students present at the lecture on topics including the question of middle powers, emotional politics, Canada's response to the external environment, and human security. (Contributed by Liu Yuanying)

Editor: Li Fangqi  Photo by: Zheng Huaizhou