Illustration: Liu Xiangya/GT

　　For some time, the US has intensified its pressure on its neighbor Canada, and as relations between China and Canada have begun to warm, Washington"s irritation has become increasingly evident. According to Bloomberg, US President Donald Trump claimed on social media on Monday that the US will start negotiations with Canada over a new bridge connecting Michigan and Ontario, the Gordie Howe International Bridge. Trump also threatened to block its opening until the US was given compensation and ownership of "at least one half of this asset."

　　Tensions escalated after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney openly criticized US policies at the Davos Forum, prompting Washington to launch a series of harsh attacks against Canada. Bloomberg reported that another factor behind the US pressure is Canada"s trade arrangements with China, reached in January, which the US has deemed a "threat." Trump claimed on Monday that making a deal with China "will eat Canada alive."

　　According to Bloomberg, the Gordie Howe International Bridge was fully financed by the Canadian government, with an estimated total cost of about $4.7 billion. In 2017, the US and Canada issued a joint statement describing the bridge as "a vital economic link between our two countries." However, it has now been reduced to a bargaining chip for Washington to exert pressure on Ottawa.