Secretary Rubio Visits Canada for G7 Ministers' Meeting
Canada Provides an Unusually 'Small' Red Carpet
Netizens Share Photos on Social Media, Mocking the Scene
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's arrival at a Canadian airport to attend the G7 (Group of Seven) meeting has sparked a buzz on social media due to the 'mini red carpet' provided by the Canadian side. On the 13th, foreign media including The Mirror US reported that Secretary Rubio arrived at the international airport in Quebec, Canada, the venue of the G7 foreign ministers' meeting, and Canadian government officials greeted him at the airport as per protocol. Up to this point, it was a standard procedure, but what caught online attention was the size of the red carpet laid out in front of Rubio's private plane.
When U.S. Secretary of State Mark Rubio landed at a Canadian airport to attend the G7 (Group of Seven) meeting, the 'mini red carpet' provided by the Canadian side became a hot topic on social media. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News
Typically, when foreign dignitaries such as heads of state or ministers arrive at an airport, the red carpet laid out in front of their private plane is longer. However, in this case, the red carpet appeared relatively short. Moreover, the runway floor where the red carpet was laid had puddles of water, making the carpet look visibly wet. On social media, reactions included comments like "Canada laid a humiliating red carpet for Rubio," "Rubio received a 'hostile welcome' from Canada," and "The size of the red carpet seems just right for Trump's ego."
Recently, amid a series of tariff pressures from U.S. President Donald Trump on Canada and humiliating attacks such as demanding Canada to be annexed as the "51st state of the United States," Canadian public sentiment toward the U.S. has reached a low point. Because of this, there are reactions suggesting that Canada deliberately laid a 'super mini red carpet' for the U.S. minister as a diplomatic expression of dissatisfaction.
In fact, during the G7 foreign ministers' meeting that day, Canada reportedly raised issues regarding U.S. tariff policies. Two days earlier, on the 11th, President Trump warned on social media that he would impose an additional 25% tariff on Canadian steel and aluminum, raising the tariff to 50%, and threatened to significantly increase tariffs on Canadian automobiles to permanently shut down Canada's automotive manufacturing industry if Canada did not remove other tariffs against the U.S.
Following President Trump's tariff pressure, anti-American sentiment in Canada has worsened, including boycotts of U.S.-made products. Newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who took office on the 9th, declared in his inaugural speech that "he will not let Trump succeed."
Meanwhile, in the past, red carpets used for welcoming foreign dignitaries at airports have sometimes served as subtle diplomatic messages. In April last year, when U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken of the Biden administration visited Shanghai, China, the Chinese side removed the red carpet from the airport floor entirely. As a result, Blinken had to walk on the bare asphalt runway.
Some U.S. media criticized this, saying "China insulted Blinken even before he got off the plane." This scene was interpreted as a symbolic move by China reflecting the uneasy relations between the U.S. and China. Prior to Blinken's visit to China, the U.S. discussed sanctions on Chinese banks in response to China's support for Russia, and President Biden signed a military aid bill for Taiwan. Blinken also criticized China's policies toward the Uyghur population in Xinjiang, including mass detention and forced labor, as crimes against humanity.
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