Morning Update: A growing bond with Beijing

"Good morning. In 2026, Canada resolves to be more pragmatic and clear-eyed. Parliament will return on Monday with that - and lots more - in mind. More on the country's new outlook below, along with plans for AI regulation and Gaza's ceasefire. But first: Today's headlines Politics The search for common ground Hi, I'm Steve Chase, a senior parliamentary reporter with The Globe, and I have returned to our Ottawa bureau after travelling with the Prime Minister for the past eight days."

"Timing is everything in politics andwhat made Carney's blunt message so pertinent was Trump's recent threat of tariffs and military force to acquire Greenland (which he has since walked back). The Prime Minister told business and politics elites in Davos, Switzerland, that middle powers must stop pretending the rules-based international order is still functioning and instead build coalitions to survive in a new era where great powers prey on smaller countries to take what they want."

Canada adopts a more pragmatic, clear‑eyed posture for 2026. Parliament will resume focused on that outlook alongside plans for AI regulation and a Gaza ceasefire. The Prime Minister travelled with Mark Carney, who completed a first official visit to China and forged a 'strategic partnership' with Beijing. Carney delivered a blunt World Economic Forum address blaming recent U.S. actions for hastening the decline of the rules-based international order. He urged middle powers to stop relying on a failing rules-based order and instead build coalitions to survive an era in which great powers prey on smaller countries. The approach departs from prior values-based policy toward pragmatic engagement.

Read at The Globe and Mail