Canada Isn't a Middle Power

 ... and its boss, China, knows it:

Still, China's hostage diplomacy has not been an unqualified success, with the country's unfavorability ratings in advanced countries at record lows, according to a June 30 Pew Research Center survey. Paradoxically, trade relations have continued to deepen with Canada, Australia, Japan and the U.S. despite Beijing's tactics.

So, what have we learned from this saga?

The big takeaway for Beijing is that hostage diplomacy can achieve its national interests to a limited degree with friends and allies of the U.S., with minimal economic costs. ...

Japan offers an important example of how to engage with China from a position of comprehensive strength, with Tokyo maintaining its alliance with Washington as the cornerstone of its security and supporting new initiatives like AUKUS and the Quad.

At the same time, Japan is investing in multilateralism through the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement and the Japan-EU Instructure and Connectivity Initiative, and through multilateral trade agreements such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

Japan's approach is both inclusive and exclusive, understanding that the best way to deal with China from a position of strength is to embed Japan into a series of multilateral frameworks that shape the rules of a free and open Indo-Pacific, in addition to shared institutional and national interests.

Japan is a country of little militarisation and Canada is a country of virtually none.

Japan is a serious though demographically waning country.

Canada's birthrate has hit a new low, just like its global standing.

No leader in Japan would be stupid enough to praise China and replace it with an international trading partner as Canada did.

Justin did absolutely nothing to affect the release of Michael Kovig nor Michael Spavor.

Canada has become so untrustworthy and unreliable that the US (with its senile, doddering pretender to the Oval Office) and Australia formed an alliance without it and Britain must step up to bat for it in the Arctic.

The term "middle power" doesn't apply to Canada in any way, shape or form.