How the Chinese Communist Party exerts influence over other countries, according to a seasoned China-watcher

Canada, the U.K., South Korea and others are getting cozy with Chinese leadership as a hedge against an unpredictable Trump administration

By Donna Kennedy-Glans
Published Feb 01, 2026
Last updated 14 hours ago
5 minute read
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People demonstrate outside the Foreign Office in London, Thursday, May 22, 2025, about transferring sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Photo by Thomas Krych /AP Photo

You gotta love China these days.

Canada, the U.K., South Korea and other nations are getting cozy with Chinese leadership as a hedge against an unpredictable Trump administration. It’s a dicey move. U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening retaliatory tariffs, citing Canada as a pressure-relief valve for Chinese overcapacity dribbling into the U.S. market. The Chinese Communist Party’s end game is more opaque.