Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing was open to maintaining contact and dialogue with Canada and did not want to see the "current difficult situation" continue.
In a phone call with his Canadian counterpart Melanie Joly on Thursday, Wang said the two countries shared many common interests and did not have any historical disputes or "real conflicts of interest".
"The fundamental reason why China-Canada relations have reached a low point in recent years is the serious deviation of Canada's perception of China," he said, according to a Chinese foreign ministry readout.
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"We hope Canada can interpret China's domestic and foreign policies objectively, rationally and correctly."
China's ties with Canada have soured in recent years, in part due to the 2018 tit-for-tat arrests of a Huawei Technologies executive in Vancouver on fraud charges at the request of the US, and two Canadians living in China who were accused of espionage.
Canada accused China of engaging in "hostage diplomacy" before a deal was eventually reached with US prosecutors that saw all three people released in 2021.
Relations were further strained over accusations of Chinese meddling in Canadian elections and the attempted intimidation of lawmakers that resulted in the expulsion of a Chinese diplomat last year. China has repeatedly denied claims of interference.
Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said Canada was willing to bring relations back on the right track. Photo: Bloomberg alt=Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said Canada was willing to bring relations back on the right track. Photo: Bloomberg>
During Thursday's call, Wang stressed that the current state of bilateral relations was not caused by China but added that Beijing must firmly safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests.
Noting that China and Canada have different social systems and ideologies, Wang called for both sides to "respect each other, engage in dialogue on an equal footing, enhance trust and dispel doubts".
Both countries should also resist the politicisation of economic issues and create a fair and non-discriminatory environment for firms, he said.
Ahead of the closely watched Taiwanese presidential election on Saturday, the Chinese diplomat also urged Canada not to send "any wrong signals to the 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces".