China’s behavior has not changed since the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). It aims to create wedges between America and its allies in the hope of undermining U.S. economic, political, diplomatic and security interests in the Indo-Pacific region.
Prominent Scholar Yan Xue Tong of Tsinghua University explained China’s long-term interests this way:
“China will work hard to shape an ideological environment conducive to its rise and counter Western values. For example, the United States defines democracy and freedom from the perspective of electoral politics and personal expression, while China defines democracy and freedom from the perspective of social security and economic development. Washington should accept these differences of opinion instead of trying to impose its own views on others.”
In the context of the Trump 2.0 administration’s economic tactics against Ottawa, Beijing is exploiting Canada-U.S. tensions to advance its interests along these subtle lines.
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