Trudeau’s dream of closer Chinese ties collides with reality

It took years for Justin Trudeau to first dream, then plan and finally nurture a closer, more intimate relationship between Canada and China.

But it took less than two weeks this month for the prime minister’s lofty ambitions to come crashing down to Earth. Now, as he gazes on the wreckage of one of his most important foreign initiatives, Trudeau should wonder how he was ever so deluded — then thank his lucky stars reality woke him up.

In its response to the arrest of a top Chinese business executive in Vancouver on Dec. 1, the Chinese government has shown itself for what it is — a totalitarian bully unhindered by any pretence of following the rule of law.

Trudeau has protested he was powerless to interfere when Canadian authorities detained Huawei Technologies’ chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, on behalf of the Americans, who want to lay charges against her.

It’s absolutely true, too, that in Canada, politicians — even the prime minister — cannot stop judges from going about their business upholding the law and, in this case, a treaty Canada signed with the United States.

Such important principles, however, mean nothing in China. In what appears to be a spiteful, politically motivated act of retaliation, it quickly arrested and detained two Canadians living in that country: former diplomat Michael Kovrig and entrepreneur Michael Spavor.

It hardly needs saying that however much Trudeau managed to warm Canada’s relations with China, they’re now stuck in a deep freeze. The prime minister’s goal of ramping up trade between the two countries to lessen Canada’s economic dependence on the U.S. has hit a dead end.

It will take months, possibly years, for a Canadian court to rule on Meng’s extradition to the U.S. Whatever happens, Canada is not going to be able to negotiate — far less sign — a dramatically improved trade agreement with China in the near future.

Nor is Meng the only thorn in bilateral affairs. Trudeau is under pressure from the Americans to prevent Huawei from being involved in the next generation of wireless networks in Canada because of legitimate fears the company will leak sensitive information from the West to the Chinese government.

The arguments grow stronger by the day that Canada should deny Huawei any role in this new, high-tech infrastructure, even though that will feed the Chinese government’s wrath against us.

To be sure, we should not go out of our way to provoke the world’s second-biggest economy and an undisputed superpower. The wisest course of action for Canada, however, is to be extremely cautious and totally realistic in its future dealings with China.

Any changes in trade arrangement should come in baby steps. As for the extradition agreement China was interested in negotiating with us, forget it.

Of course, we should engage with China — economically and culturally. It’s our second-biggest trading partner. Whatever differences Canada and its closest allies have with the Chinese, the world will be a more peaceful, amiable place if we keep open the bridges that have been extended to the Chinese over decades.

But the Chinese government plays by different rules than we do — rules it makes up as it goes. It engages in industrial sabotage and cyberwarfare. It is a police state that scorns our human-rights values and currently holds hundreds of thousands of members of a Chinese-Muslim community in detention camps.

The truth sometimes hurts. But the truth, which became undeniable this month, is that while Canada wants China as a cordial neighbour, it’s premature to treat it as a trusted family friend.