Bandwagoning with the elephant: Canada's grand strategy in response to China's rise in a shifting global power landscape (2008–2024)

The rise of China poses significant challenges to the global projection of US power, particularly within the Indo-Pacific region. In this context, the role of US allies, notably middle powers such as Canada, has become increasingly important. Despite growing scholarly attention to this dynamic, there remains a need for more systematic and empirically grounded analysis of how middle powers formulate their strategic response. We identify and analyze five indicators of grand strategy, studying the case of Canada's approach toward China from 2008 to early 2024: threat perception, diplomatic signals, military acquisitions, deployments, and joint military exercises. We operationalize these indicators by developing clear, falsifiable, and measurable criteria, which we analyze through strategic documents, public statements by elected officials, and declarations from the executive branch. The findings indicate a marked Canadian tendency to bandwagon with the United States. The article further examines the underlying motivations for this alignment, with particular attention to strategic culture and status management practices.