By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
OTTAWA — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday, Nov. 10, that Canada’s partnership with China presents fewer security risks than its relationship with the United States, a striking comparison that comes amid escalating trade tensions with President Donald Trump and Ottawa’s efforts to strengthen economic ties with Beijing.
Speaking to reporters ahead of a scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, Carney defended his government’s expanding relationship with China while acknowledging the need for safeguards against foreign interference. His remarks marked a significant departure from his position during Canada’s 2025 federal election campaign, when he identified China as the country’s greatest geopolitical threat.
“We’ll discuss our economic partnership, which is something that is deepening but has clear guardrails in terms of the areas in which we’re involved,” Carney said, according to a Nov. 10 report by Juno News.
“In terms of the security risks of our partnership, they are much, much, much, much less than the security risks, for example, of the United States,” he added.
The comparison comes as Canada seeks to reduce its economic dependence on its largest trading partner following a prolonged dispute over American tariffs, market access and national sovereignty. Trump has imposed tariffs on billions of dollars in Canadian goods, prompting retaliatory measures from Ottawa and complicating negotiations over the future of North American trade.
Carney has argued that Canada must diversify its international commercial relationships to protect its economy from unpredictable American trade policies. His government has pursued expanded cooperation with European and Asian countries, including China, while maintaining that closer economic engagement does not require abandoning national security concerns.
According to Reuters’ reporting on Carney’s upcoming meeting with Xi, the Canadian prime minister said he intends to raise foreign interference directly with the Chinese president during the Nov. 18-19 summit.
“The advantage of these meetings is you can raise issues directly and frankly, and I will be raising the importance with which we attach to the non-interference in our affairs by China and other countries,” Carney said.
His comments follow years of Canadian intelligence warnings concerning Chinese government activities, including allegations of interference in federal elections, intimidation of diaspora communities and efforts to influence political institutions. A Canadian public inquiry examined allegations involving the 2019 and 2021 federal elections after intelligence officials identified interference attributed to China. Beijing has repeatedly denied interfering in Canada’s domestic affairs.
During the April 2025 election campaign, Carney was asked during a leaders’ debate to identify Canada’s greatest security threat. He answered, “China,” subsequently describing Beijing as the country’s biggest threat from a geopolitical perspective. The change in his public assessment has attracted scrutiny as his government expands financial and commercial cooperation with the same country.
The growing relationship accelerated after Carney visited Beijing in January 2026 and met with Xi. The two governments reached agreements intended to reduce trade barriers, including Chinese tariffs on Canadian agricultural products and Canadian restrictions on Chinese electric vehicles. Ottawa agreed to permit a limited number of Chinese-made electric vehicles to enter Canada at a reduced tariff, while Beijing lowered duties affecting Canadian canola and other agricultural exports.
The agreements were followed by additional negotiations involving financial services, regulatory cooperation and investment. On Nov. 9, Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne and Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu concluded talks in Vancouver with Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng, agreeing to expand financial-sector cooperation and improve communication between regulators, according to Culture Alberta’s account of the developments.
Those discussions are part of Carney’s broader strategy to increase Canadian exports to markets outside the United States. The government has set a goal of doubling exports to non-U.S. destinations by 2035, reducing the economic vulnerability associated with Canada’s substantial reliance on American consumers and businesses.
Despite the effort, the United States remains Canada’s dominant trading partner and a central defense ally through the North American Aerospace Defense Command and NATO. The countries share extensive military, intelligence and security arrangements that are fundamentally different from Canada’s commercial relationship with China.
That distinction is important when interpreting Carney’s latest statement. His comparison addressed the security risks associated with Canada’s respective partnerships, particularly economic dependence and exposure to American policy decisions. It did not establish that the Canadian government had formally designated the United States a greater military adversary than China.
Nevertheless, Carney has previously acknowledged that his administration considered scenarios involving possible American military action against Canada. In a September interview with The New York Times, he described a potential U.S. attack as an “extreme tail risk,” emphasizing that governments have a responsibility to prepare for even highly unlikely events with severe consequences.
“I think you have a responsibility in these roles to look at extreme tail risk,” Carney said, according to The Irish Times’ account of the interview. “That’s just risk management.”
Carney emphasized that military conflict with Washington was not his government’s expected scenario, but said ignoring such risks would be irresponsible. The comments followed repeated statements by Trump suggesting Canada could become America’s 51st state, remarks that Canadian leaders have rejected as threats to national sovereignty.
Relations have also deteriorated over American tariffs and disagreements involving Canada’s cultural protections, language policies and domestic industries. Although negotiations have continued, Ottawa has resisted certain U.S. demands that Canadian officials argue would compromise the country’s ability to regulate its own economy.
The Associated Press reported Tuesday that Carney continues to view the Trump administration as Canada’s primary negotiating counterpart despite Democratic victories in the Nov. 3 U.S. midterm elections. While Democrats have indicated they may challenge some of Trump’s tariffs, the president retains substantial authority over trade negotiations and executive policy.
The dispute has prompted Canada to reconsider its dependence on American technology, defense equipment and infrastructure. Carney has discussed diversifying military procurement, satellite services and other strategic resources, although Ottawa continues to maintain its longstanding defense commitments with Washington.
Closer relations with Beijing present a separate set of concerns. Canadian intelligence officials have repeatedly warned about foreign interference, cyberespionage and attempts by Chinese authorities to influence political and economic institutions. The government must also consider the security implications of Chinese technology, investment and access to sensitive industries.
Carney has maintained that engagement with China can proceed within carefully defined boundaries while Canada continues protecting its sovereignty and security interests. His government has distinguished between commercial cooperation and strategic alignment, arguing that economic diversification does not require political or military dependence on Beijing.
The prime minister’s latest remarks nevertheless underscore a significant change in Canada’s approach to its two most consequential international relationships. China, which Carney identified as the country’s leading geopolitical threat less than two years ago, is now being pursued as an increasingly important economic partner, while the United States is viewed as a source of substantial commercial and political uncertainty.
With Carney preparing to meet Xi in Shenzhen next week, the comparison places renewed attention on Canada’s changing foreign policy priorities and the consequences of its deteriorating relationship with Washington. The outcome of those discussions could influence future trade arrangements, investment restrictions and security cooperation as Ottawa attempts to diversify its economy without compromising its longstanding defense alliances.
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