Never too late to correct your mistakes

The appointment of a new envoy may not necessarily create miracles but it can still be perceived as a gesture for resetting relations between two countries. By appointing a new ambassador to China on Wednesday, Canada has sent such a signal, which gives the two sides an opportunity to begin repairing damaged bilateral ties.

Sino-Canadian relations came to a standstill after Canada detained Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei, on Dec 1 at the behest of the United States. That has been followed by not only exchanges of bitter words but also setbacks to bilateral trade and people-to-people relations.

The detention of Canadian nationals Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor on Dec 10 and the suspension of Canadian imports such as canola oil and meat - despite being on legal grounds, not in response to Meng's detention - reflect the extent to which bilateral relations have deteriorated.