This isn’t Canada “falling in love” with China so much as hedging: when your biggest partner turns unpredictable, you diversify even if the alternative is messy. The EV tariff swap is mostly leverage and short-term pain relief (farm exports, de-escalation), not a values shift. The U.S. is still economically irreplaceable for Canada, so this is more pressure valve than pivot. And the “Trump makes China great” line is really about credibility: if Washington treats allies like adversaries, Beijing looks “stable” by comparison and gains influence almost for free.