What do you mean "smacks of" ? It IS elitism of the worst, arrogant Liberal  kind. Trudeau and the Liberals while claiming 'progressive' have caved like wet cardboard to corporate interests at the expense of everything else. Yes we can trade with China but certainly not free trade. That's a joke. Unless Canada is willing to take over (nationalize) all our banks and large conglomerates and use them for national objectives such as jobs and development, just like the Chinese do, then and only then, we can consider free trade. Why does Canada and other Western countries accept such a blatant double standard? This is not fair competition, its exploitation. How about fair trade not free trade with China ? It must buy as much as it exports to Canada ? Jobs generated there must have an equivalent in Canada? If Trump were not poking us in the eye maybe this would be less salient. We should have trade with China but better no deal than a bad deal.