Hanlon on Canada’s path to navigate tense US-China relations

International relations expert and associate faculty Dr. Robert Hanlon has published a piece in The Conversation Canada, Canadian Press and Global News dissecting the Canadian governments’ issues navigating the rivalry between China and the United States.  

Here is an excerpt:

The Canadian government’s inability to navigate the ongoing rivalry between the United States and China has exposed a striking dysfunction in Canada’s foreign policy.

It speaks to a serious vulnerability in a nascent superpower conflict driven by techno-nationalism and populist politics. What’s clear is that both Beijing and Washington are willing to manipulate Canada’s rule of law system for their own political ends.

The Trump administration’s request to arrest and extradite Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wenzhou, followed by China’s retaliatory detention of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, illustrate Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s helplessness and confusion on how to handle such a difficult situation.

In fact, near policy paralysis coupled with a “wait and see” approach appears to have guided the government throughout the crisis.

This article first appeared in The Conversation Canada.