Will Donald Trump’s return to power deepen divisions between Canada and China?
Whoever succeeds Justin Trudeau is likely to want to keep the White House on side, but that risks a further chill in relations with Beijing
Regardless of who forms the next government after this year’s election, where the opposition Conservatives are strongly favoured to win, the country is likely to fall in line with Trump’s position on major trade and security issues while treading a careful line between the two superpowers, according to observers.
Most observers agree relations never recovered after Canada’s arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the Huawei Technologies executive, on a US warrant, in late 2018 and China’s subsequent detention of two Canadians, Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, on spying charges.
“The turbulence in Canadian politics at the moment is considerable. Fear of China is now joined by a palpable fear of Trump’s ‘America first’ [revival],” said Paul Evans, professor emeritus in the school of public policy and global affairs at the University of British Columbia.
He said managing the relationship with its southern neighbour was a much higher priority for Canada than finding ways to live with China.
