日本語で失礼いたしました。今回朝日でテレビトランプ氏、カナダに関税プレッシャー 真の狙いは“中国”か「アメリカに頼る時代は終わりつつある」の声もについて話した。是非ご参加ください。

This time on Asahi TV, I talked about Trump’s pressure on Canada to impose tariffs, whether his real target is “China” or the voices saying “the era of relying on America is coming to an end.” Here are shorter clips and full clips of our discussions in Japanese with English translation.

Fundamentally, Canada and the U.S. have maintained a friendly relationship?

Stephen Nagy: Yes, that’s right. If we consider the current situation from the perspective of ordinary Canadians, the question is: what has changed?

Trump is skilled at negotiations—very skilled. Whether Canada and Mexico were his primary targets is unclear, but from my perspective, the real target is undoubtedly China.

Looking ahead, trade negotiations with China are about to begin. Trump wants to enter these negotiations from a position of strength.

If a neighboring country is already experiencing strict tariff diplomacy, China must be carefully considering what this means for them and how they should respond.

Do you think this is a dispute between Americans and Canadians?

Stephen Nagy: No, I don’t think so. The real question is whether President Trump genuinely favors tariff diplomacy or not, and why he would target Canada.

Even economic experts don’t fully understand it. When tariffs are imposed, ordinary American families and citizens also suffer negative consequences, so the reasoning behind it remains unclear.

However, as I mentioned earlier, from my perspective as an international relations expert, I believe that Trump is actually thinking about China. By implementing strict policies against allied nations, he is likely trying to gauge China’s reaction—how China will interpret these moves and whether it will impact their approach to trade negotiations.

As an ordinary Canadian, this situation is quite concerning. Right now, the U.S. has already imposed a 10% tariff on Chinese goods, but they are considering raising it to as much as 60%. This might be part of an attempt to strike a “grand bargain” in economic negotiations with China.

Of course, there are many global issues at play, such as the war in Ukraine. By leveraging China’s influence, the U.S. might be trying to bring an end to the war and establish a peace framework, while also determining what kind of cooperation is possible with China.

So, perhaps Trump is using tariff diplomacy as a tool to pressure China and see what China is willing to negotiate.

If I were Chinese, honestly, I’d be very worried about what might happen next.

How do you perceive Trump’s extreme statements?

Stephen Nagy: Well, there are certainly people in the United States who are angry at Trump. However, up until now, the relationship between the U.S. and Canada has been historically friendly and stable.

But Trump’s way of speaking, choice of words, and provocative remarks are something we’ve never experienced before. For ordinary Canadians, this raises questions: Is America really changing? Do ordinary Americans actually share Trump’s views? These are things people are beginning to question.

Of course, the Trump administration has many responsibilities to handle at the moment.

Perhaps some people are waiting to see how things unfold. In about a month, we’ll see whether certain policies will take effect or not.

That being said, Canada is a cold country, and the U.S. has warm destinations like Hawaii, Florida, and Texas. Many Canadians want to escape the harsh winter, so they might still travel despite their concerns.

At the same time, the economies of Canada and the U.S. are deeply intertwined. Canada imports a lot of agricultural products, including fruits and other goods from the U.S..

So, completely boycotting the U.S. would be unrealistic.

Canada has two official languages, French and English?

Stephen Nagy: Yes, that’s right. In a way, Canada has two cultural identities. However, the country was originally established through a merger, and from the beginning, it was built on the coexistence of two languages and two cultures.

For example, compared to Japan, where the legal system is largely uniform nationwide, Canada operates differently.

In Canada, the laws in British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec can be entirely different from one another. Quebec, in particular, has a legal system based on civil law, while other provinces follow common law.

This complexity extends to foreign relations as well.

Canada functions as a single nation with a federal government, but each province also acts somewhat like a small independent country, with its own laws and policies—even in foreign affairs.

This makes diplomatic negotiations more complicated, especially when dealing with the United States or other nations.

Alberta – Texas of Canada

Stephen Nagy: Alberta is often considered a conservative province, somewhat like Texas in the United States. Culturally and in terms of common sense, there are many similarities between Alberta and the U.S.

Economically, Alberta’s oil industry is directly connected to the United States, and from there, it enters the global market. For Alberta, the U.S. functions as a truly free market for its energy exports.

Additionally, there is a historical political divide between Alberta and the federal government. The province has never been particularly supportive of the prime minister, and this sentiment has existed for a long time.

There has always been a sense of distance between Alberta and the rest of Canada, but Alberta has traditionally been closer to the U.S., not just geographically, but also economically and politically.

Watch my full clip with auto English translation

Watch the full original discussion