{"text":[[{"start":8.76,"text":"Mark Carney defended Canada’s deepening alliance with the EU after Donald Trump threatened to punish Brussels if closer ties with Ottawa amounted to a “hostile act” against the US."}],[{"start":19.3,"text":"In a landmark speech to the European parliament on Thursday, the prime minister said the alliance with the EU was a “positive thing” that would make Canada “a better partner for the US”. He cast closer ties with Brussels as a democratic counterweight to mounting US trade pressure."}],[{"start":35.04,"text":"“I am not proposing a third bloc in order to become a great-power rival — only with better manners,” he quipped in reference to the US."}],[{"start":43.52,"text":"The US and Canada are engaged in a tit-for-tat tariff war, and Trump on Wednesday warned he would impose “very serious tariffs” on the EU if the bloc’s plans to grant Canada “associate membership” amounted to a “hostile act”."}],[{"start":57.16,"text":"Ottawa would work with Brussels on energy, defence, critical minerals and financial services as part of its ambition to become the EU’s first “associate member”."}],[{"start":65.88,"text":"“This is a ferocious storm. A single tree will come down in it. A forest will not,” he said to several rounds of applause from MEPs. “This is about sovereignty. Our ability to live as we wish. It is about the freedoms we must fight for, every day.”"}],[{"start":82.48,"text":"“Sovereignty requires resilience — the ability to withstand shocks. Sovereignty goes beyond being able to feed, fuel and defend ourselves. It now requires secure access to AI, semiconductors, critical minerals, payment systems, clean energy technologies, vaccines and space-based communications.”"}],[{"start":100.88,"text":"He outlined several concrete areas to improve ties. He wants Canada to join the Erasmus Plus student exchange scheme, deepen its involvement in the next stage of Horizon Europe, a research programme, and negotiate a deal to allow young people to work in each other’s countries."}],[{"start":116.56,"text":"The two sides hope to announce some agreements, including a digital trade deal, at a summit on October 29-30 in Montreal. The Canadian parliament would have a vote to approve any final deal."}],[{"start":133.2,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1789645906_2083.mp3"}