China appeared to pull Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney away from the influence of the U.S., a longtime ally for the country, but a recent rival for the Americans. Carney arrived in China on Wednesday and is setting out to revitalize a relationship between the two countries.
Canada has been one of the U.S.’s longtime allies, despite recent bumps in the road over tariff negotiations. President Donald Trump has also suggested Canada could become America’s 51st state.
State media in China is calling on the Canadian government to set a “strategic autonomy” path away from the U.S. Experts on China say the two leaders could find common ground over the U.S.’s desire to intervene, which could create “unease.”
“We can also see Canada’s current state of considerable unease towards the U.S.,” said Cui Shoujun, a foreign policy and Latin America expert at Renmin University of China. “If the U.S. can claim Greenland, might it then lay claim to Canada?”
Shoujun referred to the U.S.’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was taken to New York to face charges. Following his capture, comes statement sfrom Trump that the Danish territory of Greenland has a right to be controlled by the U.S. for national security purposes in the Arctic.
But China’s aggression as a foreign power also plays a role. During an interview with The New York Times, Trump was asked if capturing Maduro gave China the right to go in and take Taiwan.
“You didn’t have drugs pouring into China. You didn’t have the jails of Taiwan opened up and the people pouring into China,” Trump said, describing Venezuela as a “real threat.”
About the Author
