What Happened
U.S. President Joe Biden met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Feb. 23, the administration's first bilateral meeting with a foreign leader, SCMP reported Feb. 24. The two discussed coordinating their approaches on China to "better compete." Biden also called for Beijing to release two Canadians detained in China since 2018, but did not evaluate the prospects of a U.S. Justice Department deal for the release of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, MPR News reported Feb. 23.

Why It Matters
The Biden administration is signaling a renewed focus on supporting Canada in its efforts to manage tense China relations as part of a broad U.S. emphasis on enlisting key allies to counterbalance Beijing. A key sticking point in the Sino-Canadian relationship is the ongoing extradition process faced by Meng in Canada, which may drag on for years absent a U.S. plea deal.

Background
Canada's Department of Justice announced Dec. 5, 2018, that it had arrested Meng Wanzhou, CFO of prominent Chinese tech company Huawei, in Vancouver on Dec. 1 at the request of the United States.