On January 24, 2026 (local time), Donald Trump posted on his social platform "Truth Social": "The world doesn't need a China annexing Canada. This will never happen, not even the slightest possibility! Thank you all for your attention.

President Donald J. Trump

This post by Trump mainly targets the threats and warnings against Canada's development of economic and trade relations with China, rather than a realistic assessment of geopolitical risks.

He threatened that if Canada reaches a trade agreement with China, the U.S. will immediately impose 100% tariffs on all goods entering the U.S. from Canada.

The exaggerated language in the post, such as "annex," is mainly to create a so-called "threat," essentially pressuring Canada to align its position with the U.S. on China-related economic cooperation, preventing it from becoming a so-called "transshipment port" for Chinese goods into the U.S.

This diplomatic incident is not an isolated event but reflects the recent intensification of tensions between the U.S. and Canada:

The immediate trigger was the clash at the Davos Forum

In January 2026, at the World Economic Forum (Davos), Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney gave a speech. Although he did not directly name any country, he criticized the use of tariffs by "great powers" for economic coercion and called for unity among "middle powers." The speech received a standing ovation from the audience.

Trump responded strongly. In his speech the next day, he counterattacked, saying "Canada exists only because of the U.S." and asked Carney to "remember this." He then withdrew his invitation for Carney to join his so-called "Peace Commission."

Such clashes are just surface-level issues; the deeper reason is Canada's pursuit of trade diversification.

Before the incident, Carney had just visited China, and both sides reached an agreement to reduce tariffs on certain products (such as Chinese electric vehicles and Canadian agricultural products).

It was a normal trade cooperation between the two countries, but the Trump administration viewed it as Canada's attempt to reduce economic dependence on the U.S. and deviate from U.S. policy coordination. Although the U.S. government stated that Canada and China have not negotiated a broad free trade agreement, any effort to deepen Sino-Canadian economic and trade relations triggered Trump's sensitivity.

Another factor is historical tensions. Trump has repeatedly joked that Canada is the "51st state" of the U.S., and referred to the Canadian prime minister as "the governor." In this tweet, he again called Carney "Governor Carney."

Additionally, Trump has been pushing for the deployment of the "Gulf Shield" missile defense system in Greenland and demanded Canada share the costs, but Canada coldly rejected it. Canada's subsequent trade advancement with China further angered Trump.

Luckily, Trump often has a history of "big noise but small action" on trade issues, such as recently threatening to impose tariffs on Europe but later delaying it. Whether this threat will be implemented remains to be seen.

In summary, Trump's tweet is the latest manifestation of strained relations between the U.S. and Canada due to differences in trade policies and diplomatic positions. Its core is Trump's attempt to use extreme pressure to prevent Canada from deepening economic and trade cooperation with China and to maintain U.S. dominance in North America. The term "China annexing Canada" is an exaggerated rhetoric used to create public opinion, not a real international political issue.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1855243941864460/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.