Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to Beijing — the first by a Canadian leader in nearly a decade — has reignited debate over Ottawa’s position in the intensifying US–China rivalry. The trip, followed by Carney’s stark warning at Davos about a “rupture” in the global order, signals a possible shift toward strategic autonomy as Canada faces tariff pressure and political uncertainty from Washington. New trade arrangements with China, particularly on electric vehicles, have sharpened tensions with the US while raising questions about values, security and long-term risk. Is Canada recalibrating its traditional alignment, or simply hedging in an unstable world? In this episode, we examine Canada’s China reset, US reactions, middle-power strategy and what these shifts could mean for Taiwan and the broader Indo-Pacific.
*Recorded on January 29, 2026 at 3:30pm Taiwan Standard Time
Host: Wen-Ti Sung
Producer: Chinyeh Chiang
Our guests:
Ronan Fu
- Academia Sinica Institute of Political Science Assistant Research Fellow
Charles Wu
- National Chengchi University Department of Diplomacy Professor and Chair
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