Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will visit China from January 13 to 17, his office announced on Wednesday, signaling a thaw in relations.

The trip, the first to China by a Canadian leader since 2017, aims to "strengthen cooperation in the areas of trade, energy, agriculture and international security," a Carney spokeswoman told AFP.

The first sign of improving ties came in late October when President Xi Jinping and Carney met in South Korea on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit.

Xi invited Carney to visit China following their meeting, which the Canadian premier had called a "turning point" in the relationship.

The last Canadian leader to visit China was Justin Trudeau, in December 2017. (AFP)