Canada's Trade Ties to China Put National Security at Risk

The arrest of a Canadian NATO intern in Belgium on suspicion of spying for China has reignited concerns about Canada's 'strategic partnership' with China on trade. Prime Minister Mark Carney described China as Canada's greatest security threat in April 2025, and the country's foreign interference inquiry identified China as the most active perpetrator of foreign interference targeting Canada's democratic institutions.

Carney has stated that expanding trade beyond the US is vital to Canada's economy, given President Donald Trump's tariff policies. However, the question remains how much foreign interference, transnational repression, and industrial espionage Canada is willing to endure in hopes of securing increased trade with China, which receives only 4% of Canadian exports compared to almost 70% from the US.

Writing in the National Post, Charles Burton and Marcus Kolga warn that Canada's warming relations with Beijing are working against the country's military and financial support for Ukraine. The duo notes that China and Russia have conducted joint bomber operations near Alaska and naval and coast-guard patrols in northern waters, demonstrating growing military coordination near North America's northern approaches.