What ‘pragmatic’ foreign policy means for a trading middle power 

When market access becomes uncertain, Canada’s strategic advantage weakens regardless of production strength.
Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The January 2026 Canada-China strategic partnership illustrates how pragmatism can operate in practice, writes Michael Harvey.Photograph courtesy of X
Opinion
BY MICHAEL HARVEY
April 22, 2026

Canada’s foreign policy is shifting toward pragmatism, a direction set forth in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s January 2026 Davos address, “Pr...

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