When Mark Carney, the prime minister of Canada, arrives in China on Wednesday, his hosts perceive a chance to distance the longstanding US ally from their adversary, at least somewhat.
The Canadian government is being urged by China's official media to pursue "strategic autonomy," or a foreign policy path separate from the US.
Geographically and otherwise, Canada has long been one of America's closest allies. However, Beijing hopes that this long standing partnership will be damaged by President Donald Trump's economic aggression and, more recently, military action against other nations.
Former US President Joe Biden's attempts to fortify ties with Europe, Australia, India, Canada, and other countries in order to take on China infuriated the government. It now sees a chance to attempt to break those connections, but it is still unsure of how far that will go.
For his part, Carney has concentrated on trade, characterizing the trip to China as a step toward establishing new global alliances in order to reduce Canada's economic dependence on the US market.
Trump has imposed tariffs on Canadian exports to the US and hinted that the large, resource rich nation might become the 51st state of the United States.
After taking office last year, the Canadian leader is attempting to mend a relationship with China that was tense under his predecessor, Justin Trudeau, for almost six years.
The arrest of a Chinese tech executive at America's request in late 2018 marked the beginning of the deterioration in relations, and the Trudeau government's decision in 2024 to follow Biden's lead and impose a 100% tariff on Chinese made electric vehicles was more recent.
China has countered by imposing its own tariffs on Canadian products, such as canola, fish, and pork, in addition to a 25% duty on steel and aluminum.
"If the Canadian side reflects on the root causes of the setbacks in bilateral relations over the past few years the previous Justin Trudeau government's policies to contain China in lockstep with the United States it will realise that it can avoid the same outcome by upholding its strategic autonomy in handling China related issues," an editorial in the state-owned China Daily said yesterday.
"If Ottawa still chooses to subject its China policy to the will of Washington again in the future, it will only render its previous efforts to mend ties with Beijing in vain," said the newspaper in English.
The government owned Global Times reported: "Perhaps it was the heavy price paid for blindly following the US in imposing high tariffs on China that awakened Ottawa's sense of strategic autonomy."
According to Canadian officials, they anticipate that Carney's visit would result in trade advancements rather than a final removal of tariffs.
