Ottawa, Jan. 11 -- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney should make human rights a central element of his upcoming visit to China from January 13 to 17, 2026, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said.

The visit marks the first trip by a Canadian prime minister to China in more than eight years, amid strained bilateral relations following years of intensified repression by the Chinese government, as cited by the HRW report.

According to HRW, relations between the two countries deteriorated significantly after China detained two Canadian citizens between 2018 and 2021 in apparent retaliation for Canada's arrest of a Huawei executive.

The organisation warned that Beijing's deepening repression not only threatens the rights of Chinese citizens but...