As US President Donald Trump approaches his one-year mark back in the White House tomorrow (Jan. 20), his consistent pursuit of an "America First" policy has significantly strained ties with neighboring Canada. Since taking office, Trump has targeted Canada by reimposing tariffs and repeatedly suggesting annexing the country to make it the "51st state of the United States." In Canada, mention of Trump often elicits visible anger, with many accusing the United States of betrayal and condemning Trump as "widely disliked" for upending the deeply integrated political, economic, and military relationship between the two nations.
Miller, a retired accountant in his 70s, noted that the U.S. and Canada have long referred to each other as "brother nations," with Canada often acting as America's vanguard. He expressed deep disappointment that Trump looks down on Canada. Miller frankly stated that given Trump's audacity, it would not be surprising if the U.S., after potentially gaining control over Greenland, intervened in Canada's internal affairs to seize key natural resources.
Mr. Cheng, a Hong Kong native who has lived in Vancouver for nearly 30 years, said he has never seen such widespread uncertainty about the future across all social strata. He finds it impossible to predict how Trump might further disrupt the world order in his remaining three years in office. Michael, a third-year student at the University of Toronto, originally planned to start his career in the U.S. after graduation. However, Trump's relentless and aggressive approach has left him apprehensive, to the extent that he now avoids even traveling to the United States.
A political commentator pointed out that bilateral negotiations between Canada and the U.S. to lower tariff rates have reached a deadlock, and the continuation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) faces too many uncertainties. He believes Canada must collaborate with Mexico to preserve existing terms as much as possible while also accepting certain changes. He urged the Canadian government and businesses to continue diversifying trade with Europe and the Asia-Pacific region to reduce excessive reliance on the United States.
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