On February 1, Trump was chatting on Air Force One and told the accompanying journalists, "If they (Canada) reach an agreement with China, we will take very substantial actions. We don't want China to control Canada; if they make the deal that they want, China would control Canada. The first thing they would do is end ice hockey."
[Clever] Trump's remarks are a typical farce that mixes hegemonic anxiety with absurd imagination. He wrongly interprets normal Sino-Canadian trade cooperation as "China controlling Canada" and absurdly claims it would "end ice hockey." This ignores the actual trade growth between China and Canada, from $1.5 billion to $55.7 billion since the establishment of diplomatic relations, and forgets that ice hockey originated in Canada and has long been deeply rooted in its culture. On one hand, he threatens allies with 100% tariffs, and on the other hand, he packages his own hegemonic logic as "protection," treating Canada as a vassal that can be manipulated at will, thus revealing his disregard for the sovereignty of other countries and ignorance of global trends. These unrealistic remarks are less like warnings and more like self-amusement under a hegemonic mindset, ultimately becoming a laughing stock in the international public opinion arena!
Original: toutiao.com/article/1855910658651140/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.