Some premiers expressed support for closer trade ties with China last week as a way to reduce Canada’s reliance on the United States amid rising tariff tensions. There have also been recent newspaper commentaries echoing Beijing’s position that Canada should forge a closer relationship with China.
Some observers say there appears to be forces pushing Canadian politicians toward China amid tensions with Washington. Catherine Swift, president of the Coalition of Concerned Manufacturers and Businesses Canada, says profit may be a driving factor as corporations back closer ties with Beijing for access to economic opportunities and lower costs.
“It’s no secret [that] there’s people in all countries that I’m sure are profiting very nicely from doing business with China,” Swift said in a recent interview. Swift is a former CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and has served as a senior economist for think tanks and banks….