Listen to what Canadian businesses say about China
Canadian Chamber of Commerce in HK’s response to Harper’s China visit (released to CIV on Dec 6): Andrew Work of Canadian Chamber of Commerce in HK Canadians doing business in China hold similar values to Canadians in Canada. Where there may be a difference is in our experience on the ground. Many, including Canadians originally from China, have witnessed an explosion of freedoms in China unimaginable just a couple of decades ago. China... [Read More...]
Harper visits The Great Wall, calls it ‘unbelievable’
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and wife Laureen visits the Great Wall of China at Badaling in Beijing, China on Thursday, December 3, 2009. (CP) CP – “Unbelievable”. That’s how Prime Minister Harper described the Great Wall of China today during a walk with his wife Lauren and a flank of Canadian officials. The outing, about 90 minutes outside Beijing, came prior to key meetings with Chinese President Hu Jintao and dinner with... [Read More...]
2/3 Canadians urge PM to focus on China’s human rights, not trade: poll
PMO release Sigh… what can I say? Sometimes I really don’t understand my fellow Canadians. Why are Canadians always one step behind the rest of the world? Is it because our country is too cold so our people don’t travel outside of North America to see the rest of the world? With an obvious shift of western media obsession on the “China threat” theory and the retrieve of the once mainstream China-bashing rhetoric, I can... [Read More...]
What is it about Harper’s China trip?
Dear readers: Here’s the transcript of today’s briefing on PM Harper’s visit to China. Enjoy. Main point? Just a tour. Nothing to be signed. But free entrance to the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. (my emphasis in bold) ———————- file photo TRANSCRIPTION DATE: November 30th, 2009 – 1:00 p.m. LOCATION: National Press Theater, Ottawa, Ontario PRINCIPALS: ‧Dimitri Soudas, Associate... [Read More...]
Japan replaces China as Canada’s 3rd biggest export partner
International merchandise trade: Annual review STATCAN – Canada’s reliance on the United States as a trading partner fell even further in 2008, in the wake of declines in the American automobile and housing markets during the economic downturn. In 2008, the United States accounted for less than two-thirds (65.7%) of Canada’s total merchandise trade on a customs basis, that is exports and imports combined, down from 67.2% in 2007... [Read More...]
Day’s ice-thawing mission to China
Canadian Trade Minister Stockwell Day waves from inside an autorickshaw outside a hotel during his visit to Hyderabad, India, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009 (AP) What the Globe and other English media didn’t report was that Stockwell Day said today Stephen Harper is “very eager to visit China”. However, it’s quite well known that the Chinese govt has not given any invitation for visit to Harper. So when western leaders are visiting... [Read More...]
Hu Jintao not meeting Harper in G20?
Hu met with Harper in 2007. (CIV file) It looks like that Chinese president Hu Jintao will not meet with Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper, nor French president Nicolas Sarkozy in the G20 summit. According to the website of China’s foreign affairs, Hu will be meeting with heads of state of the UK, USA, Russia, Brazil, South Korea, Japan, Australia and Thailand. But the Chinese FM also says detailed schedules are still being hammered out.... [Read More...]
Feds getting serious with China as US, world economies continue to slide
As expected in a previous post, our federal government is getting serious about China. CIV reports, using UN’s trade stats data, that Canada remains in the late teens of ranking as China’s trade partners throughout these years. When the US is getting more unreliable lately, finally our government realizes that the next best safe haven for the Canadian economy is in China. It’s glad to see the government is catching up. My only hope... [Read More...]
Stats show Canada ranks low as China’s trade partner
The Fraser Institute issued a study Canada’s Economic Relations With China yesterday, pointing to the poor performance of Canada in competing in the China market. Since the Fraser Institute is almost like the mirror of policy directions of the Conservatives, does this report mean the Tories are facing increasing pressure to push for better trades with China? Here are some highlights from the report: US accounted for more than two-thirds of Canada’s... [Read More...]
China market still far away for Canada
International trade minister Stockwell Day says Canada is planning to open 6 trade offices in China in a Board of Trade luncheon last Thursday. However, the most sought-after pact, the ADS or Approved Destination Status, remains no where to be seen, as Day shirked away the question. He, though, did mention Canada is making progress in negotiate for a protection pact for foreign investors. He believes an announcement will come in April. From an earlier... [Read More...]
