Strategy Is Always the Source of Strength

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By Dr. Alaa Al-Tamimi

October 2025

In international relations, strength does not lie solely in economic or military size, but rather in the ability to craft a coherent strategy that protects national interests and ensures sustainability.

This truth is clearly reflected today in the ongoing tension between Canada and the United States over tariff policies, particularly on steel, aluminum, and electric vehicles.

The United States, despite its enormous economic power, has recently adopted a protectionist approach to shield domestic industries and confront Asian—especially Chinese—competition.

Canada, its closest and largest trading partner, responded instead with strategic calm, adhering to the framework of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) and seeking dialogue rather than confrontation.

More importantly, the Canadian Prime Minister realized that responding to U.S. pressure should not come through conflict but through diversifying partnerships.

His government began expanding engagement across Asia, signing trade and cooperation agreements with Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam, while also taking measured steps to rebuild economic relations with China.

The recent Canada–Indonesia agreement further confirmed this direction, opening the door to growing investment and trade with Southeast Asia’s largest economy in key sectors such as energy, critical minerals, and agri-technology.

This agreement represents not merely an economic success but a strategic step within a broader vision—strengthening Canada’s presence in the Asia-Pacific region and reducing its excessive dependence on the American market.

Through this approach, Canada’s position evolved from reaction to proactive strategy: expanding markets, building new economic alliances, and transforming a trade dispute with Washington into an opportunity to redraw its commercial map.

In doing so, Canada demonstrates that a calm and rational strategy can be a greater source of power than direct economic pressure.

True strength is not measured by the number of factories or the volume of tariffs, but by a nation’s capacity for intelligent maneuvering and adaptation to global change.

Thus, the Canadian experience proves that strategy is always the source of strength—for it combines vision, flexibility, and balance, turning crises into opportunities for expansion and influence.

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