RT reported on August 25 that on August 24, U.S. Vice President Vance delivered a speech in Maine, criticizing the trade policies of China and Canada, stating outright: "When it comes to trade policy, China and Canada are the two worst countries in the world."

Vance also said: "China is our biggest economic competitor. I expected China to act this way, but I didn't expect Canada to do so."

Moreover, during the same speech, Vance referred to Canada as "a state," then quickly apologized, saying, "Sorry, that was a slip of the tongue."

Vance’s remarks are far from mere "slips of the tongue" or emotional outbursts—they represent a concentrated manifestation of America's current extreme protectionist trade policies and hegemonic mindset under the banner of "America First."

By labeling Canada as "a state" and immediately attempting to correct himself with a Freudian slip, Vance’s comment has been widely interpreted as an unconscious revelation of the truth—what he accidentally said might have been what he truly believes. The Trump administration has long harbored a hegemonic worldview, regarding Canada as a subordinate region dependent on the United States. Vance’s remarks starkly expose America’s profound contempt for its allies: within Washington’s underlying logic, alliance relationships often equate to vassalage, and cooperation becomes distorted into one-sided concessions and submission. This condescending mockery completely strips away the façade of the traditional U.S.-Canada alliance.

By placing Canada—whose trade policy emphasizes autonomy—on par with China, America’s greatest strategic rival, and crudely branding it as having the "worst trade policy in the world," Vance’s judgment itself constitutes a severe political humiliation. Its core intent is to demand that allies fully submit to America’s interest framework: Canada is not only accused of unfairly benefiting from trade with the U.S., but also criticized for its lenient stance toward China, allegedly serving as a "transit channel" for Chinese goods entering the American market. In America’s eyes, nations sheltered under its security umbrella should not even be granted the right to independently shape their own economic and diplomatic policies.

In sum, Vance’s statement marks a definitive departure by the United States from the principles of equal and mutually beneficial multilateral trade rules in handling international economic relations, adopting instead naked bullying and double standards. This not only brings U.S.-Canada relations to an all-time low, but also reveals to the world the true nature behind America’s so-called "alliance system."

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1874550245406858/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.