For all of the confusion about where the Ottawa-Washington meltdown will lead, one thing seems certain. The big winners of this diplomatic collapse will be China and other repressive dictatorships eager to become our new “strategic” partners and further undermine the world’s stabilizing democracy bloc.
Opinion piece by Charles Burton, former diplomat at Canada’s embassy in Beijing, senior fellow at Sinopsis.cz, a China-focused think tank based in Prague, Czech Republic. He is and author of ‘The Beaver and the Dragon: How China Out-Manoeuvred Canada’s Diplomacy, Security and Sovereignty’.
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Beijing in particular wants to inherit Canada’s economic dependence. Establishing such a broader North American beachhead will only further President Xi Jinping’s resolute goal of displacing the U.S. as a global hegemon, and cementing a China-dominated world order whose very foundation is the rejection of democratic freedoms and human rights.
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If Canada ever reaches a point where attacks on our economy put families’ livelihoods at stake, then standing firm on our moral principles will give way to tolerating – or at least ignoring – human rights abuses in exchange for restoring Canadian prosperity through trade and investment with the likes of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and China. As someone who has been sanctioned by both Beijing and Moscow for standing up for Canadian democratic and civil values in global affairs, this prospect is deeply troubling.
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When Mr. Xi makes a landmark trip to North America next month, it is expected he will add a Canadian stop, the first time in 16 years a Chinese head of state has visited this country. And this at a time when there have been calls for Ottawa to scrap restrictions on importing Chinese-made EVs, to locate Chinese auto factories here, and to even encourage Canadians to buy “Great Wall wine” instead of Californian.
In contrast to the belligerent threats that Canadians have been conditioned to expect from Washington, the Chinese President will project dignity and a tone of respect and goodwill toward Prime Minister Mark Carney and his Canadian business associates, who will be offering a warm welcome to the Chinese delegation.
But like Howitt’s “Spider and the Fly,” in which a cunning spider uses seduction and manipulation to lure a fly into its web, Canada should be wary of those who wield flattery and charm to disguise other intentions. Rushing to embrace China’s expansionist and calculating totalitarian regime will never work out well for Canada’s overall interest.
In the current hostile landscape, Canada could find itself deeply regretting coming out of an American frying pan into a Chinese fire.
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Funny how the base that Trump has shown constant admiration for is also reaping the maximum enjoyment and benefit from this.
The US has never been a stabilizing democracy. They have been one of the foremost instigators of destabilization for almost a century. And the research is also clear that US citizens’ majority policy concerns only get addressed if they align with corporate policy concerns. So neither stabilizing, nor an actual democracy.
My knee-jerk “um actually” response aside, China’s ability to strategize at long time horizons lends credence to some of his points. For long-term survival, Canada will need to build multiple independent tradepartnerships to remove any single points of failure.
“Yeah, the person I’m married to threatens me, punishes me, insults me, and doesn’t value my consent, but it’s better than what the other person could be”
Literal battered woman syndrome. Look, I don’t like China or want more trade with them either, but can we please stop pretending doing business with them will be worse than doing business with the U.S.? One keeps their issues much more domestic than the other? I don’t see China raising world oil prices by bombing Iran, raising my cost of living with absurd tariffs, or going back on their word.
We struck a deal with them, and they removed duties for our canola, crab, peas, and lobster for us letting in their EVs, which opens us up for job creation should they bring manufacturing operations here. In turn, we were made exempt from visa requirements to travel to China. I can see the benefits of that deal because they up the income of our farmers and fishers, open up job potential, and make travelling across the world easier for us.
That is how you strike a deal. They are reliable, the U.S. is not, plain and simple. If this guy’s opinion is that China wants less democracy in the world, then I’d like to point to the amount of dictators America backs and has instated. Let’s stop pretending that only one pulls that crap when they both do.
I don’t understand why we all just forgot this so quickly.
They are reliable.
No, they aren’t. China even imposed tariffs on Canadian pea starch in back in June (so you statement is wrong in this), and this is by far not the worst. The Chinese government’s coercive tactics are well-known across the globe, and so are its human rights violations.
Again, I reiterate.
Who is irrationally increasing the cost of living across the globe, specifically with gas prices?
Who else is committing human rights violations, domestically and abroad, and is actively backing those abuses in other countries?
Also that’s specifically for pea starch, whole peas and other pea products are still good to go, that’s far from going back completely on their word, which a certain other country has done countless times.
Pea sales to China strong despite new starch tariff
If I’m taking anybody’s word, it’s the president of Pulse Canada.
What are we supposed to do, not defend ourselves? China isn’t making annexation threats against Canada. They’re terrible on human rights records, but they’re less overtly dangerous to Canada than the U.S. is with sharing a border. I can’t see any future where China tries to annex Canada.
China does influence Canadian elections, makes demands regarding our internal politics, has agents in Canada stalking and harassing Canadian citizens for political reasons; they may not be trying to claim our territory but they do not recognize our sovereign authority over it when their interests don’t align with that.
I’m not arguing for USA over China, but that’s a false dichotomy to begin with. We don’t have to compromise.
While the rest of the world, Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, South America, are switching to EVs, Canada and the US are fighting over who will build fossil cars. You can’t make this up.
To be fair, one of the big trade issues the US is mad about in the auto industry is Canada allowing Chinese EVs into their market. I feel like Canada is fighting for EVs (less so now with Carney), we just have a giant thorn stabbing us in the side.
There is nothing wrong with Chinese EVs. The US should be going after cars that transmit information to foreign governments instead, which has nothing to do with electric propulsion. If it’s about trying force Canadians into buying fossil fuels, screw them.
Oh, you mean like how all of the big 3 na domestics report to the foreign government to the south of my country?
You surely know more than i do about that.
I can’t friggen wait until byd begins selling in Canada
i don’t care about the brand i just want fossil combustion off my streets and out my lungs
It is a minimal quota so far. Only expensive models because of quota. If US goal is to destroy Canadian auto industry, with trade surplus in favour of US, then a zero market access for US producers should be policy. Much better value from Chinese EVs. And extreme subsidies have been given to foreign automakers to develop in Canada. The low quota is incentive for foreign producers to invest in Canada as a lobby move to not raise the quota. It is not, yet, a move towards China mass EVs. Australia has adopted this strategy, and much better value cars that don’t suck up tax subsidies is an obvious path to take.
This guy was a diplomat, but he doesn’t understand triangular diplomacy?
Both the US and China suck balls. They’re both authoritarian, both have dictators that abuse their power and the people of their countries have accept it because of fascist propaganda about how only a strongman can run the economy and foreigners are trying to screw them over.
The main difference is the distance to those countries. It would be nice if we didn’t need to engage with either of these countries, but the US is right next to us so they can’t be ignored. So we need to play both sides. Not on every single thing, we don’t want to engage with China anymore than we have to, because their regime sucks in the same way the US regime sucks. But if they’re willing to fill in any gaps caused by the trade issues with the US, then you gotta do what you gotta do.
How do ‘former diplomats’ come up with shit like this. Unless it was meant to be propaganda?
Of all the things you could criticize China for… this guy chooses to criticize it for the US acting like a drunk 14-year-old.
Well, I think I see why he lost his diplomat position.
At least the rest of the world is realizing we’re enemies now.
stabilizing democracy bloc
I was wondering if the pro-US propagandists are gonna be smart enough to stay silent this close to us hearing the layoffs rumbles at our workplaces but no. Dumb as bricks.
Yup this plays right into our adversary’s arms. This type of diplomacy is impossible to defend. Really renaming Lake Ontario?! Wtf man. What are you doing??? This is not helping America or you for that matter. Unnecessary self-inflicted wound.
I don’t think he cares about helping America
I don’t know what to think about him man. There are times when I think he is trying to help, but then there are times when it seems like he is enabling our adversaries and diminishing the country.
Here’s a trick: if you want to know what a politician is really doing, stop listening to anything they say and watch what they do.
Trying to help America and doing it well are two different things, which probably explains some of that.
Edit: And while it seems he is a genuine American ultranationalist (maybe he likes the grandeur of the national myth), it’s probably down the priority list from his more personal objectives.
Quite the opposite in fact, I think he’s hell bent on ransacking it and leaving it in ruins as his last action on Earth
Honestly he isn’t that important. I know it looks that way, but he’s really just a pawn. A useful one who can take the blame. Classic mob behavior.
he’s really just a pawn
A pawn that made it all the way to the other side of the board, sure.
He’s way too rich and connected to be dismissed as some corporate foot soldier. “The President isn’t really in charge” is a conspiracy theory line that ignores the broad scope and enormous budget of an given administration.
Trump’s not doing anything in office that isn’t entirely in his own personal (very short term) interest. He’s inflated his own personal fortune far beyond what even the Cheneys or the Bushs dreamed of.
Yup, he’s a symptom of the rot, not the cause of it. Ignorance, stupidity, narcissism, incompetence, and extreme patriotism led to a significant portion of the USA being content that way.
And it has momentum, not easily reversed. We’re living in interesting times…
This is pure demonic nazi Canadian establishment platformed propaganda for the purpose of enslaving and oppressing Canadians, and their minds, into the only permissible negotation alternative: Begging only the US for survival. Demonic propaganda of the last 20-75 years must frame your political allegiances. There is no direct US threat, and no future direct US threat, that should ever move you from ultimate devotion to overarching US demonic naziism. No participation by Canada in any future multipolar global order, but especially not permitting Canadians to reconsider nazi US/Israel supremacy as “Canadian values”.
Begging only the US for survival.
Canada can’t move it’s borders. They do business with the US because of proximity far more than policy.
And as the US is a globe-striding superpower with a centuries long reputation for bullying allies and enemies alike, that means making some hard choices.
No participation by Canada in any future multipolar global order, but especially not permitting Canadians to reconsider nazi US/Israel supremacy as “Canadian values”.
Israel exists in it’s current state precisely because American fascists sponsor it’s worst residents for high office. Practically the definition of a kakocracy. If you’re not an ultra-nationalist with a thirst for eugenics, you’re not invited to the Knesset.
Of course, Canada has the same problem. It’s Parliament is also stacked full of American aligned oligarchs and fascists, to the point where they gave one of the last living Nazis a standing ovation not three years ago.
Until you can purge yourself of fossil fuel plutocrats and evangelical white supremacists, I’m not sure how you decouple from the United States, much less the global petro-cartels.
centuries long reputation for bullying allies and enemies alike, that means making some hard choices.
My core issue with OP is choices to help/protect Canada must be framed in the horror that it could also help China, and harm the bullying power of the master we can only be allowed to devote alignment to their maximum evil. Editorials like this, try to force the easy path of going through the stages of grief until accepting the extreme US demands/enslavement.
the horror that it could also help China
Cutting off my own nose to spite China’s face
Dude, just go and touch some grass.
I think the Prime Minister who called out that middle-powers needed to stick together if they are to survive is probably aware that jumping out of the fry pan into the fire isn’t a good idea. Conversely the Chinese are no worse than the Americans, so Canada all the middle powers need to deal carefully with the 2 superpowers, keep them as much at arms-length as possible, and try to make win-win deals. Something China currently does and the US doesn’t while the orangatun is in power.
Yeah, no. The happiest dictator is the one from the US.
China aren’t reliable, look at what they did to Australia after our prime minister, rightly or wrongly, called for an investigation into the origins of covid
For the record, I don’t think Scotty did the right thing, but China’s response wasn’t justified either
I think China had a very long list of data points of what happens if you allow a Murdoch mouthpiece to mouth off without slapping back hard and executed according to what precedent dictated.
He deserved the response for being SloMo, his entire existence warranted a slapping.
Note, I may be a little biased in this analysis as I wouldn’t piss on him if he were on fire
I’m not quite as biased as you, but he probably should have been more diplomatic (see also hose holding.) Still wouldn’t vote for him or his ilk for all the housing gains in the world
I’m rooting for Canada
