My Take | The US is unreliable – even when it’s against China
- Taiwan, Canada and the Hong Kong opposition have been taking costly lessons about depending on America
By now, it has become an undeniable pattern. Those who turn to Washington for help against China have either come up short, or worse. Canada, the Hong Kong opposition and the independence-leaning government of Tsai Ing-wen in Taiwan – all have ended with the short end of the stick. When will people ever learn?
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came to power partly by promising improved commercial and economic relations with China. Instead, thanks to an extradition request for the arrest of Huawei’s No 2, Meng Wanzhou, relations between the two countries have plunged to their lowest point in decades, perhaps ever.
Two Canadians have been detained on the mainland, widely assumed to be in retaliation for Meng’s arrest, while Chinese trade restrictions have cost Canadian farmers hundreds of millions.
Given the fact that Canada suffers terribly by honouring its extradition treaty obligations with the United States, you would expect Washington to pull out all the stops to help a faithful ally.
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Instead, President Donald Trump has publicly insulted and humiliated Trudeau, and made legally compromising statements about Meng’s case. When Trudeau suggested, not unreasonably, that the US should link the outcome of its trade deal with China to the release of the two Canadians, he didn’t even get a hearing at the White House.
