Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has ignited a political firestorm after declaring the United States a greater security threat than China during remarks in Montreal on Tuesday. The comments, made ahead of his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, have drawn fierce backlash from opposition leaders and further strained relations with Canada’s largest trading partner.
Controversial Security Assessment
“In terms of the security risks of our partnership, they are much, much, much less than the security risks of the United States,” Carney said while discussing Canada’s relationship with China. The statement marks a dramatic reversal from his 2025 campaign position, when he identified China as Canada’s primary security concern.
The remarks come as Carney prepares to meet with Xi on the sidelines of the November 18-19 APEC summit in Shenzhen, where Reuters reports he plans to discuss non-interference in Canada’s internal affairs. The two nations recently resumed military talks after an eight-year hiatus.
Economic Tensions With U.S. Escalate
Carney’s comments follow months of deteriorating economic relations with Washington after Canada backed out of a trade deal this summer. The prime minister made his security comparison while addressing the controversial sale of a Stellantis plant in Ontario to Roshel Canada, which threatens 2,000 jobs.
“I am prepared to use whatever legal and policy levers available to protect the roughly 2,000 workers affected,” Carney told the Wall Street Journal, calling the deal “unacceptable.” Canada currently sends about 75% of its exports to the U.S. and sources nearly half its imports from its southern neighbor.
Political Backlash Intensifies
Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre blasted Carney’s leadership, accusing the Liberal government of “costing Canadians money and jobs and driving our economy into the ditch.” Poilievre demanded the firing of Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne over the Stellantis deal.
Critics have accused Carney of “Trump Derangement Syndrome” since taking office in 2025, when he campaigned heavily on anti-Trump trade rhetoric. His latest comments about U.S. security risks have further fueled accusations that he’s recklessly alienating Canada’s closest ally while pursuing closer ties with an authoritarian regime.
The controversy emerges as Canada welcomes increased migration under Carney’s economic policies, which opponents argue mask structural weaknesses in the national economy. With U.S.-Canada relations at their lowest point in years, the prime minister’s upcoming China visit now carries heightened diplomatic significance.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/11/10/canadian-prime-minister-mark-carney-labels-united-states-more-of-a-security-threat-than-china/