Canada Reboots Chinese Defense Ties and Beijing Gets to Write the Press Release

Canada and China held their Fifth Defence Coordination Dialogue in Canada on Friday, the first session of that channel since April 2018. Beijing’s defense ministry provided this anodyne announcement: “The two sides had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on international and regional issues of mutual interest, expressed willingness to strengthen practical exchanges and cooperation between the two militaries, and enhanced mutual understanding and trust.”

Notably, Canada’s government-beholden media have not mentioned the meeting.

Why do Canadians always have to find out from foreign media? What other negotiations is Carney hiding?

Even a major South Korean newspaper writes the story before Canadian outlets

"Canada, whose relations with the U.S. have rapidly deteriorated recently, has resumed official… pic.twitter.com/NkXObyY5c3

— cbcwatcher (@cbcwatcher) September 7, 2026

Why do Canadians always have to find out from foreign media? What other negotiations is Carney hiding?

Even a major South Korean newspaper writes the story before Canadian outlets "Canada, whose relations with the U.S. have rapidly deteriorated recently, has resumed official defense dialogue channels with China after eight years. This move is interpreted as an effort to overhaul its U.S.-centric economic and security structure and expand cooperation networks with partners such as China and Europe"

One of the hallmarks of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s reign has been building a relationship with China while downplaying ties with the U.S. This talk of a “strategic partnership” comes amid warnings from multiple Canadian government agencies that China remains Canada’s biggest security threat.

At first glance, this could be seen as Carney trolling President Trump over his comments about the 51st state and Lake America. But I think that would be a mistake. There is growing evidence that Canada is becoming a victim of “elite capture,” much like the small island nations in the West Pacific; see China Seeks to Buy Eight Pacific Island Nations While Joe Biden and His State Department Are Comatose – RedState.

Earlier this year, two Canadian-based steel companies were fined $19 million for relabeling Chinese-made steel as Canadian and then exporting it to the U.S. to avoid tariffs. Multiple reports indicated that the transshipment of Chinese goods to the U.S. via Canada was a major point of contention in U.S.-Canada trade talks, and the talks may very well have failed over Canada’s unwillingness to police that activity. That Canada was willing to give up NAFTA to protect China speaks volumes.

Canada is also opening its doors to the importation of hundreds of thousands of Chinese electric vehicles. These vehicles have been banned in the U.S. due to security concerns about the Chinese-made software they use. Having those vehicles in Canada and traveling to the U.S. sort of makes our own ban somewhat less than effective.

Canada cozying up to China, or more accurately, sucking up to China, calls into question long-standing intelligence and defense cooperation.

Canada sent a clear message to the U.S. with this meeting. It wasn’t just the meeting. As the U.S. Pacific Command commander, Admiral Samuel Paparo, was in Victoria, British Columbia, for a meeting of Indo-Pacific chiefs (see Reporter Asks Admiral If the US Will Invade Canada. He Offers His Mars Battle Plans Instead. – RedState), Canada was holding a one-on-one defense coordination meeting with China.

The deputy commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command is a Canadian general officer. Can we really afford to coordinate our defense plans with a nation that is seeking closer military ties to China?

Canada is a member of the “sanctum sanctorum” of U.S. intelligence, the Five Eyes. For about a year I’ve doubted the wisdom of having a China-friendly, Islamic state — that would be Britain — in an intelligence-sharing arrangement. Now the wisdom of including Canada is also a subject for debate.

In short, we are on the cusp of a broad decoupling from Canada in trade and security after over a century of our shared border being peaceful and hospitable. As Canada’s government has become increasingly totalitarian and hostile to civil liberties, I’m not sure that I care.

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