Ottawa, April 20 -- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has identified China as the country's foremost national security threat, citing foreign interference, cyber activity, and strategic ambitions in the Arctic, as reported by Express Tribune.

Carney made the stark declaration during a televised leaders' debate on Thursday evening, marking one of his most direct statements yet on Canada-China relations as the federal election campaign enters its final week.

"China," Carney said bluntly when asked to name the greatest geopolitical threat to Canada. The statement drew sharp reactions domestically and abroad and underscored a growing shift in Canada's foreign policy posture.

Speaking the following day during a campaign stop in Niagara Fa...