Canada Entangled in Russia-China Alliance Through Economic Decisions
Canada's economic decisions are increasingly entwined with the strategic alliance between Russia and China. This connection is often overlooked in discussions about national security and trade.
The assumption that Ukraine is too distant to matter and that helping defend it against Russia is an act of charity has led Canada to prioritize its relationship with China, arguing that closer economic ties can diversify its trade and strengthen the economy against U.S. tariffs and reshoring.
However, this approach ignores the reality that national security and trade are closely connected, especially when Canada's economic choices intersect with the Russia-China strategic alignment.
Recent reporting by The Insider, Le Monde, and Der Spiegel has revealed how Beijing is helping to sustain Russia's war against Ukraine, providing it with dual-use technology and components to produce weapons, as well as lessons in drone warfare, electronic warfare, cyberattacks, sanctions evasion, and the disruption of critical infrastructure.
These capabilities will not remain confined to Ukraine but will likely inform Chinese and Russian planning against NATO, North America, and the Arctic. Canada's allies have already drawn this connection, with the G7 warning that China's support is fueling Russia's war and NATO identifying China as a 'decisive enabler' of Moscow's aggression.
The proposed method for disabling Western satellite systems such as Starlink, which has played an important role in Ukraine's defense, could disrupt military operations, emergency services, and civilian communications. Disabling satellites could also create debris that threatens other objects in orbit, posing a significant threat to Arctic security.