China is Not the Answer
The answer to dependence on the US cannot be dependence on China. Indeed, just as we don’t want to become the 51st state, we do not want to be China’s 24th province, either.
Many Canadians are understandably frustrated with the United States. Some even feel betrayed. US tariffs on Canadian industries pose a real threat to our jobs and businesses.
It is only logical that Canada should work to become less dependent on the US, to avoid being in a position where one country can have such a severe impact on our economy. But the answer to dependence on the US cannot be dependence on China. Indeed, just as we don’t want to become the 51st state, we do not want to be China’s 24th province, either.
Yesterday, at a First Ministers’ Meeting in Huntsville, ON, news reports included startling quotes from some Premiers openly encouraging the federal government to deepen its relationship with China. Premier Doug Ford described the US acting like “an enemy,” and rationalized cozying up to China with the old saying the “enemy of our enemy is our friend.” Ford went on to say, “As long as China plays fair and doesn't undercut our markets, be it the auto sector or any sector, I have no problem dealing with them because we're already dealing with them.”
The problem here, of course, is that China has its own agenda that seeks to undermine Canadian sovereignty. There have been numerous documented examples of Chinese foreign interference in Canadian elections, including in the 2025 federal election.
It is also clear that the Chinese government does not “play fair.” Last year, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre stood up for Canada’s steel industry by pointing out that China has “stolen technology from Western countries, limited access to global supply chains and massively subsidized steel, aluminum and EV industries. They’re doing this with the goal of crushing our steel, our aluminum, and our automotive production and taking our jobs away.”
We must recognize the Chinese government’s human rights abuses when discussing its viability as a significant trading partner. Just four years ago, Canada’s parliament voted (with some notable abstentions) to declare China’s treatment of Uyghurs a genocide. There have been several documented examples of China using Uyghur slave labour, with direct connections to industries and supply chains in the West.
Even prior to yesterday’s First Ministers’ Meeting, Canada’s federal government was making overtures to China by choosing to finance four ships from a Beijing state-owned company for BC Ferries. Conservative MP Aaron Gunn pointed out that “there is no reason why [the ships] should be purchased from an adversarial nation like China” and explained that more effort could have been made to ensure the shipbuilding contract went to a Canadian company.
My worry is that certain politicians are exploiting genuine concerns over US tariffs to move our country into a different direction, one that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. We now have political leaders openly talking about China as a solution to our anxieties and challenges, as if becoming closer to China does not present a danger to our democracy, our economy and our moral compass.
Trading dependency on the US for dependency on China is swapping one master for another. We do not need to make that choice. We do not need a master. Canada is a highly capable country that, with the right leadership, can live up to our potential as a strong, independent nation.