VICTORIA – B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad says China shouldn’t be overlooked as the province works to diversify trade relationships in Asia.

Premier David Eby announced Wednesday he will lead a trade mission to Japan, Malaysia and South Korea starting early next month. He will be joined by Agriculture Minister Lana Popham and Paul Choi, parliamentary secretary for Asia-Pacific trade.

Eby said a goal of the trip is to build new relationships and reduce B.C.’s reliance on both the United States and China.

But Rustad says British Columbia can’t afford to ignore China as a key economic partner.

“Premier Eby’s reluctance to engage China may align with his personal or political perspective, but it significantly hampers British Columbia’s economic potential,” he said.

The United States and China account for the vast majority of B.C.’s export market. Japan and South Korea trail behind, together making up 17 per cent of the province’s merchandise exports.

Eby has not said whether his government has set specific metrics to gauge the success of the trade mission.

“It’s essential for us to pursue clear and measurable outcomes,” Rustad said. “But quite frankly, Premier Eby consistently refuses to be held accountable to defined benchmarks.”

The trade mission begins June 1 in Tokyo.