Historians may mark January 20, 2026, as a landmark moment. That day, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, during his speech at Davos, declared the terminal decay of the US-led international order and charted a principled, pragmatic path for middle powers caught in the crossfire of great power rivalry.
The significance lies in the fact that this bold critique came from Canada – a nation deeply intertwined with the United States through an alliance, as well as proximity and economic ties.
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While his Beijing visit marked a diplomatic “Pierre Trudeau moment” in resetting Canada-China relations, it was the Davos address that truly elevated Carney to the stature of a statesman, offering a vision transcending the short-term political calculus that paralyses Western capitals.
Carney’s Beijing visit was a masterclass in diplomatic pragmatism. He negotiated a framework on energy cooperation and rolled back Canada’s 100 per cent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles – a move reflecting realism, not capitulation.
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This recalibration was driven by Canada’s strategic vulnerability due to over-reliance on the US, underscored by Trump’s predatory tariffs and annexation rhetoric. By thawing a frozen relationship, the visit showed Carney’s commitment to engaging with the world as it is, not as one might wish it to be.
