Taiwan is urging the Canadian government to reconsider its trade relationship with China to avoid the risks of economic dependency.
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Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Chen Ming-chi (陳明祺) said Canada’s new administration under Prime Minister Mark Carney may face a steep learning curve with China. Chen was in Canada for the Halifax International Security Forum, reported The Globe and Mail.
Chen was discussing Carney’s meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea in late October. Carney called the meeting a “turning point” for Canada–China relations, and Xi has reportedly invited the prime minister to Beijing for further trade talks in early 2026.
Canada must maintain “a high awareness of the level of risk involved” when dealing with China as a major trade partner, Chen said, arguing that Beijing is known for using economic leverage to punish and pressure other countries. He added that Beijing is actively trying to “drive a wedge” between democracies.
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Chen warned that over-reliance on the Chinese market could carry a serious cost if Canada’s leaders ever displease Beijing. He pointed to ongoing diplomatic tensions between Japan and China and Beijing’s recent ban on Japanese seafood imports.
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warned that over-reliance on the Chinese market could carry a serious cost if Canada’s leaders ever displease Beijing
He’s not wrong.
It is possible to do some amount of business with China without going all-in and becoming so reliant on them that we lose control of our own destiny.
We should, I would hope, have already learned that lesson from our over-reliance on the US.
Our exports to US: $383B Our exports to China: $20B
Our imports from US: $247B Our imports from China: $60B
Could you imagine? Canada in a coercive relationship with a more powerful political power?
