OTTAWA, ON – China’s ambassador to Canada has proposed a partnership between the two countries to push back against what he called unfair trade practices from the United States. Speaking in Ottawa, Ambassador Wang Di criticized Washington’s use of tariffs and other measures, labeling them as examples of “American bullying.” He suggested that China and Canada have a shared interest in resisting unilateralism and protectionism, particularly as global trade tensions continue to escalate.
Wang emphasized that a partnership between Canada and China could bring tangible economic benefits to both sides. “China opposes unilateral bullying,” he said, pointing to tariffs and other restrictive actions taken by the U.S. government as detrimental not just to China but to international trade stability as a whole.
The call for this questionable camaraderie comes at a time when Canada’s own trade relations with the United States have experienced strain. Although Canada and the U.S. maintain strong economic ties, disputes over tariffs, particularly under the Trump administration, have at times placed pressure on their partnership.
Meanwhile on the Canadian side, there have been multiple instances of substantiated attempts to interfere with the 2025 federal election, including the deliberately ill-timed intimidation of Conservative candidate Joe Tay, as well as reports of state-sponsored activity promoting Mark Carney in the federal election via WeChat’s Youli-Youmian news site in an attempt to influence votes in the Liberals’ favour. This follows Beijing’s behaviour in past previous elections in which they attempted to derail candidates through coercion, while promoting alternatives that would act in favour of the Communist state.
China’s outreach to Canada also reflects a broader strategy of strengthening alliances as Beijing navigates ongoing tensions with Washington. Wang suggested that Canada could play a key role in supporting multilateralism and an open global economy.
Canadian officials have not publicly responded to Wang’s latest comments. However, trade relations between Canada and China remain complicated following a series of diplomatic disputes in recent years, including the detention of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou and the subsequent detention of two Canadian citizens in China.
Still, Wang’s remarks signal a continued interest from Beijing in resetting relations and finding common ground with Canada in an increasingly fractured international landscape.
