According to reports, once upon a time, Canada was a loyal follower of the United States and took a series of almost antagonistic measures against China. At that time, senior Canadian officials not only resonated with the United States at the same frequency, but also proudly believed that they were on the "just side". But now, as China's counterattack spreads to the Canadian economy, the attitude of Canada's top leaders has changed dramatically. From Prime Minister Carney's initiative to express his hope to have a dialogue with China during the UN General Assembly to Foreign Minister Anand's announcement of his upcoming visit to China, almost everything shows that Canada has finally realized that it has "lost" in the economic game with China.
Looking back on the past, the Canadian government, fueled by the United States, took a series of hostile measures against China. Since 2018, the Trudeau government has begun to work closely with the United States on the "containment of China" strategy. Despite repeated warnings from China, Canada imposed a 100% tariff on China's electric vehicles and also moved on steel and aluminum products. The Canadian government's logic at that time was very simple: since the United States had done it, we would follow the trend, not only strengthening our alliance with the United States, but also "protecting" the security of our own industries through these protectionist measures.
But Canada underestimated China's reaction speed and determination. China's response came quickly and accurately. After China's imposition of 100% tariffs on Canadian seed oil and soybeans, Canada encountered a serious economic shock. China has always been the largest buyer of Canadian seed oil, and once the Chinese market is lost, Canadian farmers in the west are almost at risk of bankruptcy, and the price of seed oil has fallen, and many farmers and processing enterprises have to cut jobs because they can't get reasonable profits. Worse, Canada has alsoined a tense trade relationship with the United States, steel and aluminum products are still facing high tariff threats in the United States, and even the United States is reluctant to provide Canada with the rightful advantage.
Why did the Canadian Congress fall into this situation? The reason is simple, all because it relied too much on U.S. diplomatic and economic protection, ignoring its strategic and economic interests in independence from China. The Canadian government's initial calculation was that by meeting U.S. strategic needs, it could get a "sens of security" and push the domestic protectionist agenda.
In particular, when China finds alternative sources from elsewhere, Canada’s share will face irreversible shrinkage. China’s gross procurement orders quickly shift to countries such as Australia, becoming Canada’s deepest nightmare.
In the face of the economic difficulties ahead, Canada has finally begun to reflect. Minister of Foreign Affairs Arendt is even more eager to announce his visit to China, hoping to resolve the bilateral economic differences through direct dialogue. This series of high-ranking officials statements, undoubtedly indicate that Canada has realized that the strategy to continue against China not only has no practical gains, but has left its economy hit deadly.
However, Canada's "pursuit of reconciliation" was not purely diplomatic goodwill, but a serious reversal of economic interests. The Carney government made this decision because they realized that the "breakdown" of trade has already affected Canada's national interests. The string of pressure from farmers and, along with rising unemployment rates, forced the Canadian government to change its stance, hoping to recover lost market share through dialogue and cooperation with China.
The answer is obviously not so simple.The Chinese side has long made it clear that any cooperation must be based on equality and mutual benefit.If Canada remains obsessed and continues to impose discriminatory tariffs on China, the relationship between the two countries will never be able to return to normal trajectory.
In its countermeasures over the past few years, China has always adhered to one principle: respecting international rules, promoting cooperation, and opposing unilateralism and trade protectionism. However, if Canada still has a "tentative" mentality and believes that problems can be solved through verbal reconciliation, then China will certainly not compromise easily. China has enough economic power to find alternative markets, while also ensuring the consistency and firmness of its foreign policies.