Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney traveled to China this week to meet with President Xi Jinping in an effort to mend relations and seek new markets for Canadian goods as the United States (Canada’s largest export market, receiving 70 percent of its exports) is no longer a reliable Canadian ally. China is Canada’s second-largest export market, receiving less than 5 percent.
Note: Canada-China relations in 2018 deteriorated drastically after Canada arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at the U.S.’s request, leading to China’s retaliatory arbitrary detention of two Canadian citizens, including former diplomat Michael Kovrig, and bans on Canadian agricultural products including canola.
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley reacted to Carney’s trip on social media by writing: “Canada cozying up to China to welcome more investment puts all of North America at serious risk.”
Several Canadians are replying to Haley with disparaging remarks about President Trump, whose tariff agenda, they say, has pushed Canada into this position.
Canada cozying up to China to welcome more investment puts all of North America at serious risk.
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) January 16, 2026
Dimitris Soudas, former Director of Communications to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper (2006-2015), replied to Haley: “We’d love a cuddle, but you can’t insist on being the big spoon, the little spoon, and the one controlling the thermostat, the TV remote, and the Netflix password. And no, we’re not cozying up to China, this is business, not a candlelit dinner with soft music.”
We’d love a cuddle, but you can’t insist on being the big spoon, the little spoon, and the one controlling the thermostat, the TV remote, and the Netflix password.
— Dimitris Soudas 🇨🇦⚜️🇬🇷☦️ 13.12.1943 (@DimitrisSoudas) January 17, 2026
And no, we’re not cozying up to China, this is business, not a candlelit dinner with soft music.
Note: At a defense conference in 2021, former PM Harper said he sees a new Cold War — between the United States and China — and that while Canada “can play a role and should play a role.”
He added, “But I don’t think we should think that, especially for a country like ours, we could set courses completely independent of the Big Two.”
American-born Cyrus Janssen, CEO of FastForward Marketing, a firm that connects North American and Asian brands, also referenced Harper in his reply to Haley: “Canada and China, two independent countries are doing more trade, no different than 2008 when Harper was Canadian PM, but now your just hurt because someone finally called Trump’s bullying tactics out and are seeking better options.”
Canada and China, two independent countries are doing more trade, no different than 2008 when Harper was Canadian PM, but now your just hurt because someone finally called Trump’s bullying tactics out and are seeking better options
— Cyrus Janssen (@thecyrusjanssen) January 17, 2026
Note: While campaigning for office last year, Carney called China Canada’s biggest security threat. On Friday, Carney said the global security landscape “continues to change.”
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