Amid US-China rivalry, Canada holds fast to own principles and is beholden to neither country

Alex Lo is not able to escape a world view that disregards a Canadian perspective (“Canada is between a rock and a hard place”, May 7). The trade war between China and the United States is part of the greater engagement between the two for world ascendancy. Canada, a middle power, does not account for much between the two, except for both of their “you are either with us or with them” attitude.

Canadians are accustomed to being irrelevant in the minds of the American public, but Chinese writers and government spokespersons are equally indifferent to us. As a middle power, we are compelled to take a different strategic approach to our international relations, and this sets us apart from both the US and China. The weakness of our position is obvious, the strength is that there is a larger world out there besides the superpowers.

Every country aims to both advance and protect its interests. For small or middle powers, there is the additional challenge of protecting their sovereignty and their self-identities in the face of domineering cultures and powers.

‘Huawei and Canada are victims of stand-off between US and China’

The principle of the rule of law is an important part of Canada’s inheritance of British constitutional principles. The same principle was absorbed into the American system. However, the current occupant of the White House seems to have the same misunderstanding of the principle as does the Chinese government.

It is a principle about principles; that principles are more important than brute power. No person is above the law and all who exercise governmental power must do so within the law.

This is to be contrasted with the viewpoint that the rule of law is the law of those who rule. I cannot imagine what Canada would be like without this principle of ours. The author appears to misunderstand this point.

Ronald Fallis, Alberta, Canada