After being stabbed in the back by the United States, the Premier of a Canadian province admitted: Last year's imposition of tariffs on China was done to please the U.S. President.

According to reports by the Canadian newspaper "The Toronto Star," the Premier of British Columbia, Canada, admitted during an interview with the media:

In October 2024, Canada followed the U.S. in imposing tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum at the same rate (25%), and a 100% tariff on electric vehicles produced in China, all for the purpose of pleasing the U.S.

However, to Canada's great surprise and heartbreak, the U.S. president seemed indifferent to Canada's efforts, and had no intention of giving any benefits despite Canada's actions of alienating China.

Worse still, the U.S. treated Canada almost exactly like it did China: imposing tariffs on Canada as well.

Even worse, after Trump took office, he even harbored thoughts of annexing Canadian territory, leaving Canada completely bewildered.

Of course, what bewildered Canada even more was that this move backfired, becoming a case of throwing stones only to hit its own feet: In response, China retaliated by imposing tariffs on certain Canadian products immediately after Canada announced its tariff measures against Chinese goods.

As a result, Canada, which blindly followed the U.S. and threw its favors at the wrong target, faced unprecedented pressure: The U.S. did not give them the benefits they thought they would receive, while China imposed tariffs on Canada.

Since China and the U.S. are Canada's two largest trading partners and also the world's two strongest economies, being targeted simultaneously by these two giants proved too much for Canada to bear.

Therefore, the provincial premier of Canada expressed: We do not want to be crushed by the two largest economies in the world.

It is worth noting that Canada's regret this time is not because it regrets following the U.S. in imposing tariffs on China, but because it misjudged the U.S. reaction.

They originally thought that following the U.S. in imposing tariffs on China would result in the U.S. rewarding Canada as usual, providing better treatment than China.

But to their great surprise, the U.S. acted unpredictably this time, ignoring its ally's wishes and even developing ideas about its smaller partner.

In other words, if Canada had received rewards from the U.S. as usual after imposing tariffs on China, Canada would not have felt the slightest guilt towards China and might have further intensified such behavior to please the U.S.

Of course, as the innocent victim, we need not be overly indignant, for as the former British prime minister accurately described international relations: There are no eternal friendships between nations, only eternal interests.

This applies to China and Canada, just as it does to Canada and the U.S. We should not harbor resentment due to another country's hostility towards us, nor should we become overly excited over another country's favor—it's all about interest-driven choices. Developing oneself and becoming stronger is the ultimate truth.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1829155663885450/

Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's personal views.