Canada eyes deeper trade ties with China despite security concerns

Added: 2026-06-01

[00:00:00]With me now is CTB News political commentator and former director of communications for Prime Minister Paul Martin, Scott Reid. Good morning, Scott.

[00:00:07]Good to see you.

[00:00:08]>> Good to see you, Renee.

[00:00:10]>> So, a year ago, Carney called China the biggest security threat to Canada. What would you say has changed in that time?

[00:00:19]I think even prior to that statement, what's been changing is the United States and its posture with respect to Canada and other allies on trade. And so that sets up a real tension with China, between China and Canada. And that tension is between trade and trust. We want jobs investment. We want to be able to make more sales into China and its massive market. But there are major lingering issues of trust. Can we trust them when it comes uh to issues like national security? Can we trust them when it comes uh to issues like uh technology and so on and so forth?

[00:01:00]Remember it wasn't very long ago they were literally pulling our diplomats off the street and putting them in prison on trumped up charges. So that tension is there. It is present and it's visits like this one where they're able to work through those, take another step down the road toward broader re-engagement.

[00:01:15]Now, Anita Anand says that while Canada ups its exports to China, it will do so while protecting our national security interests. What does Canada need to do to protect itself?

[00:01:28]>> It needs to do a couple of things. First of all, we have to be vigilant about technology. So, as an example, there's a small number of Chinese autos coming in, EVs, electric vehicles coming into Canada according to the agreement prime minister established when he was in Beijing. So can we be certain that there's new embedded technologies and software that uh could be a Trojan horse of sorts? And then there's broader issues uh with respect to um geopolitical matters. I mean uh look at the tension even as the foreign minister was here uh these past number of days earlier in the week there's going to worship uh you know going through the strait and we ended up in a situation where uh t tensions over Taiwan were you know almost white knuckle. So all of those issues persist and you always kind of have to keep two eyes, not one but two on the Chinese leadership.

[00:02:18]>> Now with all of this in the background, Canada is aiming to grow exports to China by 50% over the next four years.

[00:02:27]Your thoughts on this? What does it all mean for us as the Carne government looks outside of the US for new trading partners?

[00:02:34]>> Well, that's exactly it. I mean the reality is that you know and the United States bristles at talk of broader trade relations between uh Canada and China.

[00:02:44]But you know what choices do we have? If the United States is going to uh diminish trade, if it's going to roll up the drawbridge between our two nations, then naturally we're going to go looking to other markets. Where are we going to look first? The biggest ones. That's India and China. Largest land masses, largest populations, largest economies.

[00:03:04]and therefore we're going to go hunting for trade opportunities there. Why?

[00:03:07]Because the United States is withdrawing those opportunities here at home. So, you know, it's a it's a chicken and egg issue for the White House, on the one hand wants to withdraw trade with Canada, but on the other hand wishes to complain when we naturally go looking elsewhere.

[00:03:23]>> All right, uh Scott, we'll have to leave it there. Thanks for your time.

[00:03:27]>> Thank you. Have a great day.

[00:03:28]>> Thanks. You too. That is TV news political commentator and former director of communications for PM Paul Martin, Scott Reed.