Historically speaking, crawling to communists for help has never been a good idea; there's always a catch. By extension, making trade deals with China and the CCP from a position of weakness usually ends with diplomatic concessions instead of mere economic concessions. That is to say, the Chinese are less interested in economic benefits, and more interested in political submission.
Canadians are about to speed run this lesson after Prime Minister Mark Carney's "new strategic partnership" formed with China early this year. The announcement has been heralded as a pragmatic reset in Canada-China relations after years of tensions, aimed at diversifying Canada’s trade amid U.S. tariffs under Trump. The goals of the deal include increased bilateral trade, agricultural agreements, currency swaps and energy exports.
The problem is, Carney also wants Canada to maintain its relationship with Taiwan, which the CCP views as a violation of their "One China" policy. Not surprisingly, China is already using their newfound economic leverage to pressure Canada to submit to their demands on Taiwan.
Chinese Ambassador to Canada, Wang Di, has warned that the new strategic partnership between Canada and China could be damaged if Canada continues sending parliamentarians (MPs and senators) to Taiwan, or if they continue transiting warships through the Taiwan Strait.
Wang emphasized the One China principle, stating there is "only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory." He described Taiwan as a core interest and political foundation for bilateral relations, warning that official engagements by Canadian parliamentarians with Taiwanese officials would be "hurtful."
Canadian MPs and senators have long visited Taiwan, including numerous meetings with the president and foreign minister. But, this year their trips to Taiwan have been cut short, with Canada showing a quiet willingness to "de-conflict" high-profile visits when they overlap with China diplomacy.
Taiwan's envoy to Ottawa warned that Canada's burgeoning attachment to China could put them in a vulnerable position and lead to "trade weaponization" by the CCP.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has led his country into economic chaos as one of the few leaders unwilling to negotiate a basic trade deal with the Trump Administration. He should have been the first to make a deal, given that around 75% of Canada's export economy relies on US markets and there is no viable alternative that will bring anywhere close to the same trade revenues.
Canada's housing market is currently in shambles with prices still skyrocketing. Jobs losses are climbing. Factories are shutting down. Food prices are inflating.
It's a matter of simple math and basic geography: The US is the largest consumer market by far with 30% of total global buying power. China is around 12% of the global total and their consumer spending is far less liquid (and spread out over a much larger population). Furthermore, shipping goods 6000 miles to China is a lot more expensive and inefficient than shipping goods right across the border to the US. It's not complicated - making a deal with the US is the superior option.
However, Carney and his globalist ilk are not interested in common sense trade policies, they are engaged in an ideological war with the Trump Administration. This is about an increasingly "woke" and socialist Canadian regime vs an increasingly nationalist and anti-woke US government.
Carney has consistently painted the situation between the US and Canada as a war, and he has made it clear he intends to "win". This means cutting deals with traditional enemies like China; not because it makes sense financially, but because it's a way to spite Trump and conservatives in America.
In the end, it is a foolish plan which will only end up costing Canadians billions in export revenues and possibly enslave them to eastern geopolitical interests; further inflaming tensions with the US.