Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin has become the latest U.S. Democrat to caution Canada that its growing enmeshment with China is alienating more Americans than just the Trump administration. Speaking at the Global Progress Action Summit in Toronto over the weekend, Slotkin described her efforts to warn Canadian leaders against cozying up to Beijing amid the ongoing trade war with the United States.
Slotkin's Warning to Canadian Leaders
Slotkin, a former CIA analyst now serving as Michigan's junior senator, told CBC that while she understands Canada's desire to diversify its trade partnerships, she emphasized that Chinese entities are not always reliable when it comes to national security. "Just because the United States has become more difficult doesn't mean the Chinese are always the straightest shooters," she said.
This is not the first time U.S. Democrats have raised such concerns with Canadian counterparts. In the summer of 2024, then-President Joe Biden's national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, made a surprise visit to Halifax to warn the Liberal cabinet retreat against importing Chinese electric vehicles (EVs). Sullivan's visit coincided with the U.S. tightening import restrictions on Chinese EVs, and he invited Canada to join in a coordinated approach.
Previous Democratic Warnings
In 2023, Biden's Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, attended a high-level meeting with Canadian officials where he expressed frustration over Canadian inaction on issues such as Chinese fentanyl networks, money laundering, and foreign interference. According to Brad West, mayor of Port Coquitlam, who attended the meeting, Blinken described Canada as a "safe operating base" for Chinese fentanyl networks. Blinken also expressed "genuine dismay" over the collapse of Operation E-Pirate, a major RCMP investigation into Chinese-linked money laundering that yielded no convictions due to procedural errors.
West revealed that U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies were withholding evidence because they lacked confidence in Canada's ability to act on it. "They've lost confidence," West said.
Canada's Recent Shift on Chinese EVs
Slotkin's renewed warnings were partly driven by Canada's recent decision to import 49,000 Chinese-made EVs, reversing its earlier alignment with the U.S. on imposing prohibitive tariffs. This move has raised eyebrows among U.S. officials who see it as a step away from a united front against Chinese trade practices.
The growing concerns from U.S. Democrats highlight a bipartisan unease over Canada's deepening ties with China, even as the country seeks to diversify its economic relationships amid trade tensions with the United States.
