Canada's relationship with the People's Republic of China (PRC) is entering a new chapter — and the opportunities are significant. Renewed diplomatic ties, reduced tariffs on key exports, and fresh interest from major Chinese investors signal real momentum. But seizing those opportunities requires more than optimism. It requires understanding how Beijing operates and guardrails to protect Canadian values, as well as economic and national security interests.
Session 2: PRC’s Strategy of Economic Statecraft
Trade relationships can become pressure points — and the PRC has proved more systematic about this than most. This session examines the weaponization of trade and investment as tools of authoritarian economic statecraft, exploring how the PRC deploys economic power to achieve geopolitical ends and drawing a sharp contrast with more familiar Western instruments like sanctions.
Bethany Allen, author of Beijing Rules: How China Weaponized its Economy to Confront the World, considers where targeted states have found ways to absorb or deflect pressure, and whether existing international institutions offer meaningful recourse — or whether countries are largely on their own.
Explore and sign up for other sessions in this ongoing series.
