Hub Podcasts China is not the answer for Canadian prosperity
Nov 18, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Ed Fast, former Canadian minister of international trade, critiques the idea that China can be a path to Canadian prosperity, highlighting the dangers of economic incompatibility and coercion. He warns that renewed ties with Beijing might provoke U.S. backlash, jeopardizing North American integration. Additionally, Graeme Gordon, a senior editor at The Hub, reveals that nearly half of births in Ontario and B.C. are to foreign-born mothers, emphasizing immigration's crucial role in population growth amidst declining fertility rates.
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North American Trade Is Canada's Anchor
- Canada’s economic future is tightly bound to the United States due to geography, integrated supply chains, and shared institutions.
- Trying to pivot to China ignores a tenfold trade gap and risks undermining North American economic cohesion.
Diversify With Democracies, Not Authoritarians
- Strengthen trade with like-minded democracies through agreements like CPTPP and EU deals rather than courting China.
- Diversify trade to reinforce values and resilience without undermining ties to the U.S.
China's Trade Tactics Undermine Reciprocity
- China’s economic model uses state-owned enterprises, subsidies, and non-tariff barriers that distort trade rules.
- Its pattern of economic coercion and human-rights abuses makes it an unreliable partner for Canada.