Instead of openly antagonizing the U.S., a weaker Canada should adopt China's historical strategy: publicly play the supplicant while privately building economic strength. Acting out of emotional defiance only harms its citizens. True power is built quietly from a position of perceived deference.

China aims for maximum self-sufficiency while simultaneously encouraging foreign economic dependence on its market. This calculated strategy creates powerful geopolitical leverage, as countries like Germany become hesitant to challenge China for fear of damaging their significant commercial interests.

China's economic ascent began when Deng Xiaoping invited American experts to teach them about capitalism. This strategy, combined with becoming the world's manufacturing hub, allowed them to learn the system, grow strong quietly, and eventually become a dominant global power.

Canada's defiant trade stance is strategically foolish. A wiser approach would be to emulate China's early playbook: play the supplicant while weak. By patiently absorbing expertise and building economic strength, a nation can position itself to make demands later from a position of power.

While the U.S. employs aggressive, short-term tactics, China plays a long game. They use economic incentives and a 'friendly' image to win allies, which erodes America's global standing over time as nations seek a less volatile partner.

Unlike leaders focused on immediate deals, China plays a long game. They are willing to endure short-term economic struggles to weaken rivals like Trump on the international stage, a strategy that purely economic-minded negotiators find confusing and difficult to counter.

China plays the long game. Instead of direct confrontation, its strategy is to wait for the U.S. to weaken itself through expensive military interventions and political division. This allows China to gain relative power without firing a shot, similar to its rise during the War on Terror.

When a global power like the U.S. acts unpredictably and alienates its allies, it creates a vacuum. Rivals like China can capitalize on this by positioning themselves as the stable, reliable alternative, attracting disillusioned partners without aggressive action.

China's geopolitical strategy is not 'win-win' but a calculated effort to make other nations' economies dependent on its massive market. This dependence is then leveraged to control their sovereignty, while China ensures it remains independent of any single partner by diversifying its own sources.