"It's the beginning of a special phase in our relationship with China, made possible and necessary by repositioning arrangements with the United States," says Paul Evans, Professor Emeritus at the University of British Columbia, in an interview with South, capturing the calculated pragmatism behind Prime Minister Mark Carney's recent visit to Beijing. This "special phase," Evans suggests, is defined less by sudden warmth than by sober necessity—a direct recalibration driven by Canada's urgent need to mitigate profound strategic risk.
On January 16, China and Canada issued a joint statement following their leaders' meeting, in which the Chinese side called for advancing the building of a new China-Canada strategic partnership. Specifically, the two sides pledged to expand bilateral trade, boost two-way investment, and deepen cooperation in areas of shared interest.
They reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining a fair and open business environment. To that end, they agreed to address economic and trade concerns through constructive dialogue, including renewing the China-Canada Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JETC).
The nature of that risk is unequivocal, in Evans's assessment: "The big reason is Donald Trump." The visit, he argues, is a symptom of a fundamental shift in how Ottawa views its dependency on the United States. In a climate where Washington is perceived as unilaterally pursuing "America first" policies, Canada's traditional economic reliance has become "extremely dangerous." Thus, Carney's outreach to Beijing represents a strategic imperative for national resilience, moving diversification from a long-term goal to an immediate diplomatic priority.
This recalibration, led by a leader Evans describes as "mature and pragmatic," involves a clear-eyed calculation of China's role. Evans is careful to frame it not as a pivot to China, but as a diversification away from over-concentration. "The China part of this is not the principal part," he clarifies. The principal objective remains "diversification, economic growth to defend ourselves against the United States." Within this defensive strategy, China emerges as the most substantial potential partner available to help Canada modernize its economy and secure its position in a changing global order.
The path forward on specific, thorny trade disputes—such as Canada's 100% tariff on Chinese EVs and China's restrictions on Canadian canola—remains complex. Evans acknowledges deep domestic divisions but sees a pragmatic opening: Canada's struggling EV industry needs capital and technology that the U.S. is not providing, while "China might." The immediate achievement of the visit, he suggests, was not a breakthrough but a process shift—establishing "new channels for discussion" to move future negotiations toward a rules-based, legalistic framework and away from cycles of retaliation.
Significantly, Evans proposes a concrete mechanism to depoliticize these standoffs: bringing the disputes before the World Trade Organization. A multilateral ruling, he argues, could provide both governments with an impartial, external rationale to adjust their positions, offering a face-saving solution grounded in international law rather than domestic political pressure.
Underpinning this strategic and economic recalibration is what Evans identifies as the true foundation for a stable relationship: the deliberate revival of human connections. "The foundation of Canada-China relations for many years has been the people-to-people contact," he asserts. The political signal from the visit, he believes, will unlock a resurgence in academic exchanges, research collaboration, and tourism—the vital links that sustain bilateral ties during periods of political friction.
In Evans's analysis, Prime Minister Carney is navigating this new phase with careful duality, keeping "two eyes"—one fixed on Washington's unpredictable policies, the other on Beijing's pragmatic possibilities. The visit marks Canada's operational embrace of a difficult new assumption: "that America's interests and Canada's interests are not necessarily the same." By initiating this "special phase," defined by clearer communication, a framework for dispute resolution, and a commitment to rebuild human connections, Canada is not choosing China over the United States but is assertively writing a more self-reliant chapter in its own national story.
Reporter: Guo Zedong
Video recording: Guo Zedong
Video editor: Pan Jiajun
Cover: Lai Meiya
Editor: Yuan Zixiang, James Campion, Shen He, Ou Xiaoming
