Poilievre Says Canada Must Reject Chinese ‘New World Order’ and Keep US Relationship

Leader of the Conservative Party Pierre Poilievre speaks during the annual Canada Strong and Free Network in Ottawa on May 7, 2026. The Canadian Press/Spencer Colby

OTTAWA—Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says Ottawa may have to work hard to negotiate a deal with the United States that benefits Canada, but it should not turn away from Washington to pursue a strategic partnership with China.

Delivering the keynote address at a national conference of conservatives in Ottawa on May 7, Poilievre said Canada needs to “fight” for tariff-free trade with the United States by “negotiating a hard bargain” and opposing U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

“But also, we must reject the idea of a permanent rupture with our biggest customer—which buys two-thirds of our goods—in favour of a strategic partnership for a ‘new world order’ with Beijing,” Poilievre said at the Canada Strong and Free Network conference.

Poilievre has been critical of a deal signed by Prime Minister Mark Carney and Beijing in January, which would reduce Ottawa’s tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles from 100 percent to the “most-favoured-nation” tariff rate of 6.1 percent on 49,000 EVs per year, while China would lower its tariffs on some Canadian agricultural products in return.

The Conservative leader noted that the agreement offers “no guarantee” that China will reduce or eliminate tariffs on Canadian goods. In April, Poilievre said on The Diary of a CEO podcast that China could constitute “the biggest risk and threat to our country and our world.”

Poilievre told the conference audience that Carney had also said Beijing was the “single greatest threat“ to Canada during the 2025 election campaign. ”And then about three months ago, he signed on to what he called the ‘strategic partnership for a new world order’ with the dictatorship in Beijing,” he said.

Poilievre also said the government has yet to meet with Washington to work out a Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) deal, “while the Mexicans are there eating our diplomatic and economic lunch.”

Canada’s chief trade negotiator to the United States, Janice Charette, said in April it was unlikely the two countries would resolve all issues around CUSMA before July 1. Mexico began formal talks with the United States on CUSMA in March, and the two countries are set to begin official bilateral negotiations sometime in May.

Carney told reporters on April 23 that Canada was both ready to go into negotiations with the United States and “ready to wait, if that’s what has to happen” in order to get a deal beneficial to Canada. The prime minister said Washington has brought up several trade irritants ahead of the CUSMA negotiations, while Ottawa has raised ways in which the United States is “in violation” of the existing agreement, such as its tariffs on steel, aluminum, vehicles, and lumber.

Policy Issues

Poilievre said at the conference that Canadian Conservatives have “won every single debate on every single public policy issue in the last decade,” including around inflation, carbon taxes, drugs, crime, and resource development.

He said that although the Liberals had “stopped debating us altogether and started plagiarizing,” they had fallen short of actually implementing Conservative policies.

“I'd love to say that imitation is the highest form of flattery, but imitation without action is an illusion. They’re not actually implementing what they promised, or the policies that they stole, and the results speak for themselves,” he said.

Poilievre said the Liberals had failed to approve any new major projects, make housing more affordable, reduce government spending, or repeal the laws holding back Canada’s oil and gas production.

He also noted that Canada’s ranking on the Global Happiness Index has fallen from fifth place 10 years ago, to 18th in 2025, and 25th in 2026.

“Our young people now rank the 71st happiest behind the U.S., the UK, and Australia, of course, but also behind Kazakhstan, Vietnam, and Moldova,” Poilievre noted.

Poilievre also addressed critics that he said have accused him of “being a fighter,” responding, “that’s because some things are actually worth fighting for.”

“These millions of people who don’t have political influence in power, who cannot hire lobbyists, who don’t make the evening news—we are the voice for the voiceless in opposition. Therefore, we have a job to do,” he said.

The Canada Strong and Free Network conference also included guest speakers such as Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and National Post reporter/columnist Tristin Hopper.