As Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrives in Ottawa this week, Canada is attempting what Prime Minister Mark Carney has described as a ¡°reset¡± with China ¡ª an effort to stabilize a relationship strained by disputes over technology, human rights, election interference allegations and Taiwan. For Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, this moment is instructive.
Canada¡¯s rapprochement follows Carney¡¯s Davos speech in January 2025 saying there¡¯s been a ¡°rupture¡± in the rules-based international order as the world¡¯s great powers ¡ª most notably the U.S., China and Russia ¡ª abandoned it to pursue their own narrow national interests. Yi¡¯s visit comes despite fresh public warnings from China¡¯s ambassador cautioning Canadian parliamentarians against visiting Taiwan. Engagement is proceeding even as Beijing reiterates its red lines.
Japan shares some of Canada¡¯s structural realities. It has deep economic interdependence with China and exposure to economic coercion, including the weaponization of supply chains, rare earths and, most recently, tourism. But Tokyo¡¯s strategic environment is more acute. Japan sits astride key sea lanes of communication, hosts major U.S. bases and would be directly affected by any Taiwan contingency ¡ª code for a conflict, blockade or other military incident involving Taiwan and mainland China.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.