"Mark Carney, spoke with the Premier of China, Li Qiang. The leaders exchanged views on bilateral relations, including the importance of engagement, and agreed to regularize channels of communication between Canada and China," it said in a statement.

They also discussed trade and "committed their governments to working together to address the fentanyl crisis."

Ties between Beijing and Ottawa have been tense in recent years following the arrest of a senior Chinese telecom executive on a US warrant in 2018.

Li told Carney that "in recent years, China-Canada relations have faced unnecessary disturbances and encountered serious difficulties," Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported.

He added that China is "willing to work with Canada to jointly uphold multilateralism and free trade" in the face of growing unilateralism and protectionism, Xinhua reported, noting that the call came at Carney's request.

Both countries have been targeted by US President Donald Trump's tariff hikes and have condemned them.