Mark Carney’s China partnership cuts EV tariffs and deepens uranium ties, sparking security alarm

During a January 2026 visit to Beijing, Mark Carney stood beside Xi Jinping to announce a "new strategic partnership" between Canada and China, pledging collaboration on oil, gas, uranium and advanced materials. The deal includes a significant reduction of tariffs on Chinese electric-vehicle imports, effectively opening Canada’s auto market to a state-backed competitor. Discussions also covered civil nuclear energy and expanded uranium trade, linking Canada’s vast uranium reserves with Chinese interests.

Heritage Foundation analysts warned that Chinese-controlled battery and telematics technologies could pose security risks. While Carney has simultaneously forged critical-minerals agreements with Australia, the UAE and Chile, and secured a $70 billion investment pledge, the China deal raises questions about the rationale for swapping U.S. dependence for closer ties with an authoritarian regime. The controversy is amplified by Carney’s past affiliations with Chatham House, Open Society Foundations and the Liberal-aligned think-tank Canada 2020, as well as ongoing tensions over Alberta’s emissions caps and sovereignty proposals.