Recovering momentum of relations should be cherished

China's decision on Tuesday to impose antidumping and countervailing measures on imports of Canadian white pea starch powder in response to Canada's provocative trade measures targeting China's iron and steel products is justified and necessary.

Ottawa should realize that the improved diplomatic atmosphere cannot coexist indefinitely with an expanding catalog of politicized trade actions targeting Chinese industries.

Ottawa's probe into Chinese iron and steel products came shortly after both countries had cautiously begun rebuilding channels of economic engagement.

Canada's trade minister led the country's largest-ever business delegation to China this spring, seeking renewed commercial opportunities after years of diplomatic estrangement caused by the previous Canadian government's problematic China policy.

Official exchanges have emphasized the importance of stable economic cooperation and pragmatic engagement despite persistent differences. Although businesses on both sides welcome the prospect of greater predictability, recovering confidence remains fragile.

Against this backdrop, Canada's investigations into Chinese iron and steel products, citing alleged "subsidies" and "dumping" undermine that positive momentum.

Yet rather than escalating the trade dispute into a broad confrontation, China has selected a narrowly defined sector for its response. The objective is not maximum economic damage but maximum political clarity.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday, China has always advocated resolving concerns through equal dialogue and consultation. Beijing is willing to continue expanding the list of cooperation items with Ottawa, reducing the problems list, and promoting the healthy, stable, and sustainable development of China-Canada economic and trade relations.

Yet such consultations have become increasingly difficult because trade investigations in some advanced economies have become deeply entangled with political calculations, making economic disputes harder to separate from strategic rivalry.

For some developed economies, "anti-subsidy" cases involving China are no longer viewed solely through commercial lenses. It seems this is true of Ottawa, which has sought to rebuild commercial exchanges with China while tightening restrictions in certain sectors. The contradiction is becoming difficult for Beijing to ignore.

Recent developments with Japan illustrate the dilemma. Canada has openly strengthened cooperation with Tokyo on critical minerals and resilient supply chains.

Some observers have interpreted these initiatives as part of Japan's broader efforts to diversify away from Chinese supply chains. Canada is entitled to pursue its economic ties with Japan, but it should recognize that China will necessarily respond accordingly when Canadian supplies to Japan help the latter upgrade its war machine, threatening regional peace and stability.

Not to mention that Canadian warships sail through the Taiwan Strait to assert so-called "freedom of navigation" in defiance of China's strong opposition, with the latest being the Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Charlottetown, which transited through the strait in May.

For Canada, the wiser course would be to resist allowing domestic politics or wider geopolitical calculations to dominate economic policy.

Beijing has chosen restraint, targeting white pea starch powder to remind Ottawa that every politicized trade investigation carries consequences. It was less a declaration of a trade war than a diplomatic yellow card.

China remains one of Canada's major trading partners, while Canadian exporters continue to benefit from access to China's superlarge market. Neither country stands to gain from allowing manageable commercial disputes to evolve into another prolonged cycle of tit-for-tat actions.

The recent improvement in bilateral ties remains tentative but real. It deserves protection rather than unnecessary testing. If Ottawa genuinely wishes to rebuild trust while expanding economic cooperation, it should exercise greater caution before pursuing investigations that risk appearing politically motivated.