On May 28 in New York, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney declared that a strong Canada “will help make America great again.” His announcement came at a high-stakes moment, with China’s foreign minister arriving in Ottawa to build out the road map for the Canada-China “strategic partnership” and Minister Dominic Leblanc heading to Washington in an attempt to salvage USMCA. It’s all interconnected.Struck last fall against the backdrop of trade tensions with Washington, the Canada-China partnership is alarming security experts on both sides of the border. They understand Beijing is working hard to build up its coercive power over Canada and to use Canada as a back door into the United States. They also know the U.S. will use its economic power — including its ability to impose harsh trade terms on Canada — to stop Canada from getting too deeply ensnared by Beijing. Tethered to the U.S., Canada sits on the front lines of the U.S.-China contest. Its interconnectivity with the U.S. means it is a high-value target for Beijing to co-opt and coerce, and a priority-one asset (or liability) for the U.S. to lock down. Its options for navigating this reality are few, constrained by poor choices that undercut its national unity, weakened its economy, hollowed out its military, and allowed Beijing to infiltrate its economic and political systems.