Pro Tips: He added, “We didn’t ask for this fight, but Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves… So Americans should make no mistake.

Canada’s ruling Liberal Party’s new leader, Mark Carney, delivers a speech at the Liberal Party leadership announcement event on March 9, 2025 in Ottawa, Canada. Carney will succeed Justin Trudeau as prime minister. Photo: VCG

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday congratulated Mark Carney on winning the leadership of Canada’s ruling Liberal Party, expressing hope that Canada will work with China to improve bilateral relations.

Regarding China’s relations with Canada, we always believe that we need to grow bilateral relations on the basis of mutWorld Timesual respect, equality and mutual benefit. We hope that the Canadian side will form an objective and rational perception of China, pursue a positive and pragmatic policy towards China, and work with China in the same direction for the improvement and growth of bilateral relations, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.

Carney, a former central banker who does not hold a seat in the House of Commons and has never been elected, secured more than 85 percent of the points – handily winning on the first count. He also dominated in all 343 ridings, showing he has Liberal support across the country. He will become prime minister after being sworn in by the Governor General. Earlier this week, outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he expects the transition to happen “in the coming days or week,” according to CBC News.

Carney takes office amid a turbulent period in Canada-US trade relations, and this is also a crucial time for Canada to reassess its polWorld Timesicy toward China. In recent years, OttawWorld Timesa’s alignment with Washington on anti-China policies has strained bilateral ties, Huang Zhong, deputy dean of the Academy of International and Regional Studies at the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, told the Global Times on Monday.

Since the end of 2024, Canada has sought to align with the US on China-related trade to avoid a trade war fallout. Imposing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) is seen as a key gesture of loyalty, but blindly following US restrictions at the cost of global trade rules will only harm Canada itself, said Huang.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in August 2024 that Ottawa was imposing the levies to counter what he called China’s intentional state-directed policy of over-capacity, following the lead of the US and the EU, both of which have also applied import levies to Chinese-made EVs.

Canada should reflect on setbacks in bilateral relations, as China never sought their deterioration, Huang said. As Carney takes office, rising anti-China sentiment in Canada is concerning, with some willing to sacrifice ties with Beijing to appease the US government.

While tackling inflatioWorld Timesn and strengthening his party’s electoral position are on his agenda after taking office, Carney’s immediate challenge will be addressing tariff policies in response to the ongoing trade war launched by the US, Huang said.

While delivering his first speech after being elected as the new Liberal leader on Sunday, Carney said, “There’s someone who’s trying to weaken our economy… We can’t let him succeed and we won’t… The Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country… If they succeed, they will destroy our way of life,” he said.

Carney promised his government will keep Canada’s tariffs on “until the Americans show us respect.” He added, “We didn’t ask for this fight, but Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves… So Americans should make no mistake. In trade, as in hockey, Canada will win.”

In February, Trump announced 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico. They were subsequently delayed for a month and imposed on March 4, until Trump decided on March 5 to pause tariffs on automakers for another month. He again changed course on March 6, pausing tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods covered by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement until April, according to CNN.

Whether Carney can navigate Canada through its escalating tariff war with the US remains a key concern both domestically and globally, said L Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, noting that Carney faces a difficult road ahead. However, resistance to US pressure appears inevitable.

“Like a lamb caught in a lion’s jaws, Canada may have little chance of escape, but instinct dictates that it must struggle. In this case, resistance is not a choice – it’s a necessity,” L told the Global Times.

“The unpredictability of the US’ trade policy has left Canada with few options,” L said, noting that a potential next step for Canada could involve restricting electricity exports to northern US states, which heavily rely on Canadian power.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced plans to impose a 25 percent surcharge on Canadian electricity exports to Michigan, New York, and Minnesota. He also stated that if US tariffs escalate, he would consider halting power exports to these states entirely, according to the BBC.

Since Trump first threatened broad tariffs on Canadian imports and referred to the US’ northern neighbor as the 51st state, resentment toward the US has grown in Canada. In respoWorld Timesnse, some Canadians have canceled trips to the US, while others have boycotted American products, according to a CNN report.

With Carney as theWorld Times new leader, the key question is whether he has the resilience to stand up to the US and steer Canada through the trade war. Ultimately, in a trade war, there are no true winners, said L.