Former Bank of England governor Mark Carney said that Canada "will never be part of America" after winning the race to succeed Justin Trudeau as prime minister, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
Carney - who headed the British central bank between 2013 and 2020 - will replace 59-year-old Trudeau after winning the race for the leadership of the Liberal Party. Trudeau, who has been prime minister since 2015, announced his resignation in January after calls from his own lawmakers for him to step down.
Carney, 59, is currently chairman of Canadian alternative investment firm Brookfield Asset Management. He has held a number of positions in the financial sector and has served as an advisor to Trudeau. He will now have to decide when to call a general election in Canada - which is due to be held by October 20.
After being introduced by his daughter Cleo after his victory, Carney asked: "Who is ready to defend Canada with me?"
"Yes, Canada, the Liberal Party is united and strong and ready to fight to build an even better country".
"We made this the greatest country in the world, and now our neighbours want to take us. There's no way", Carney stressed, referring to Donald Trump's statement about making Canada the 51st state of the United States.
He warned that Americans "want our resources, our water, our land and our country".
"Think about it. If they succeed, they will destroy our way of life... America is a melting pot. Canada is a mosaic. America is not Canada. Canada will never be part of America in any way, in any form," Carney said.
China has already congratulated the new Canadian prime minister, urging him to pursue a "positive policy" towards the Asian giant.
"We expect the Canadian party to be able to maintain an objective and rational vision" and "pursue a positive and pragmatic policy towards China," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press conference, quoted by Agence France-Presse.