Stuck between China and US, Canada finds itself ‘alone in the world’

Just a few years ago, it would have been unthinkable that the United States would not back Canada in a geopolitical standoff.

But that was before the coming of President Trump. Since his inauguration, Canadians have found Washington to be an antagonist as often as an ally, in instances ranging from NAFTA renegotiations to insults directed at their prime minister, Justin Trudeau. And in cases when Canada would normally have received the support of its southern neighbor – a diplomatic tiff with Saudi Arabia, for instance – it stood alone.

In reaction, Ottawa has been seeking a place in this shifting international landscape, in part bolstered by economic and political ties with China to reduce its