Opinion: I for one welcome our new Chinese trade partners

Published 5:30 am Monday, January 26, 2026

For the first time in a decade, a Canadian Prime Minister visited China, striking a new deal in a changed world order that has me wondering at how historic relationships will look in not just years, but mere months from now.

There are many incredible sights I would love to see at least once in my life, such as the Shaolin Temple to the countless pillars of stone in Wulingyuan, and for now, at least there won’t be any need to pick up a visa if I decide to go and book a trip there. I won’t, mostly because not knowing a lick of the language intimidates me.

That openness is a far cry from how our relationship used to be, after all, the arrest of the two Michaels in retaliation for the arrest of Huawei’s CFO was just over seven years ago.

But as the United States looks increasingly unstable with civil unrest and growing aggression towards other countries including Canada, I, for one, am happy to open the door to look at other options.

That doesn’t mean I am ignorant of the concerns about China.

I certainly believe in Taiwan’s independence, that the occupation of Tibet should end, and I believe that the Uyghur minority has been and still is being subjected to horrendous human rights abuses.

Whether it’s possible to change those aspects, I don’t know. Nothing the world has done has worked so far, and short of cutting off every bit of trade for crippling sanctions that would devestate every other economy in the world as well, I don’t think they’ll ever improve.

As a trade partner, they have too much to offer right now to ignore, and its not like we as a nation haven’t been willing to work with others that are far from paragons of virtue.

India, too, has interfered in Canada’s sovereignty, with the RCMP arresting dozens and six diplomats expelled in 2024 over allegations they were tied to killings and other violence against Sikhs in Canada, but as a nation, we still trade with them.

They have their own human rights issues, from misogyny, persecution based on cast, persecution based on religion, general corruption, and so on.

Every nation has its issues. In Canada, there are still issues with racism, whether against Indigenous people or immigrants. Quebec has ramped up its policies around the French language to the detriment of all others in recent years.

Critics argue the United States has increasingly relied on mass incarceration and aggressive foreign policy, and is increasingly looking with avaricious greed to expand in all directions like an imperialistic beast.

Imprisoning people without trials, shooting unarmed protestors, executing people on the street, invading other nations, sinking ships, and killing all survivors; it’s past time that we reconsidered our relationship with America.

Canada should never treat China as a friend, but for now, they’re hardly the worst partner we’ve had. Maybe I’ll get that on that trip sooner rather than later. Who knows what will happen in the future?

Brennan Phillips is a journalist with Black Press at the Penticton Western News