When asked whether the Canadian government would follow the U.S. lead and impose tariffs on EV imports from China, Canada's Industry Minister suggested in general terms that it was aligned with the U.S., without making a clear commitment on the tariffs.

Recently, a proposed deal between Montreal-based SRG Mining Inc. and a Chinese company for a graphite mining operation in West Africa was scuttled by the Canadian government.

A deal reached between a Chinese and a Canadian mining company could be a test of growing Canadian concerns about selling mining assets to Chinese companies.

The Special Committee on the Canada-People's Republic of China Relationship, established by the Canadian House of Commons, has issued a report on "The Exposure of Canadian Investment Funds to Human Rights Violations in the People's Republic of China."

After completing negotiations on an investment agreement a couple months ago, Taiwan and Canada signed the agreement at the end of December.

As the Canadian Parliament debates an amended version of its investment screening legislation, concerns about Chinese investment have been prominent, especially from the Conservative opposition.

Canada and Taiwan have completed their 10 month long negotiations on a foreign investment agreement, although the text has not yet been released and some "legal scrubbing" still needs to take place.