Administration officials say President Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau want to “closely align” their respective China policies, a pledge that will test their ability to confront Beijing’s human rights abuses while convincing the regime to help mitigate climate change.

Climate change stands as a top foreign policy priority for both Biden and Trudeau, who agree that China looms large over any international effort to lower greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, Beijing has threatened to withhold that desired cooperation on climate change if Western leaders attempt to “undermine China's interests,” putting those green initiatives on a collision course with intensifying anger over atrocious treatment of Uighur Muslims.