Thank you very much for the question.
Again, we need to engage in a nuanced approach in working with the United States when it comes to how we engage with China. China understands that U.S. allies, such as Australia and even European countries, are much more vulnerable to Chinese coercion. If we work too closely and have an over-securitized relationship with the United States when it comes to China, it will put Canadians and Canadian businesses in a position where they could be coerced or be used as leverage for that relationship.
The cases of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor are very good examples of how Canadians were used to change the relationship and weaken the partnership between the United States and Canada. We were fortunate they were able to come out of China eventually. Again, the relationship and the choices we make with the United States need to be highly calibrated and nuanced.
Strengthening a securitized relationship on China will put Canadian businesses and Canadians in danger in China. This is why we need to continue to think about how we can have a Canadian approach that complements the United States but also very much understands how we could be leveraged to put pressure on the United States.