Relationship Between Chinese-Canadian-American Relations
Allies or Adversaries? Canada-China Relations
China is the third largest export destination and second largest source of imports for Canada. However, the Sino-Canadian relations are not as stable and positive as the Canadian-American relations. Canada is one of the world 's richest and most economically developed countries. China is the biggest developing country and Communist country in the world. China is also the world 's second largest economy after the United States; it is considered an emerging economy because of its rapid growth and industrialization after the “Reform and Opining up policy” in 1978. The Chinese market, with dramatically increasing Chinese economy, has become more and more important for Canadian companies since the …show more content…
Financial Crisis in 2008. The export of resource to China and the increasing of immigration for Chinese are both the stimulus measures in Canada. The non-governmental communication is “fiery”, which connect these two nations closely.
Unfortunately, the official communication between Chinese government and Canadian government are kept a low profile beginning in 1970s, which fell into low ebb through the Conservative Party of Canada in power after 2006. The Sino-Canadian relations recovered in 2012 but fell down again shortly. Why are the Sino-Canadian relations like riding a “roller-coaster”? This essay will analysis the reason of the unstable Sino-Canadian relations through different history periods, the economic growth in China and the Political struggles between Canada and China. Thus, are Canada and China friends or enemies? It depends on whether we look at economic or politics.
The development of Sino-Canadian relations can be divided in three periods, the Initial Period (1971-2005), the Freeze-up Period (2006-2010) and the Recovery Period (2011- ).
The Journal article “the Contemporary China studies in Canada” by Wang Xinying, published in The contemporary world and socialism, an official journal magazine by Compilation and translation bureau of the CPC, describe a general relations between Beijing and Ottawa from 1970s to 2000s.The Initial period can also called “the Honeymoon Period” because the Canadian federal government began to increase the communication with China through “education, agricultural, medical and civil issues” in 1980s. Wang believed that the Canadian loans and aid helps China to increase the develop of economic. Meanwhile, there are many of Chinese research programs were subsidized by Canadian federal government, which also promoted the growth of Chinese science and …show more content…
technology.
The “Initial Period” or “Honeymoon period” ended in 2006 when Stephen Harper became the Prime Minister of Canada. Mr. Harper and new Canadian government began to reduce the communication with China and focus on keep good relationship with the United States. Canadian government “condemned Chinese government in the issues of Falungong, Taiwan and Tibet which is inhuman” . After the Dalai Lama became an Honorary Citizen of Canada and Stephen Harper refused to attend the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, the Sino-Canadian relations “dropped to freezing point” . The year of 2011 was a crucial year to recovery the relations through “...the Canadian government confirmed ten “Priority Foreign Countries”, includes China, as their new “Foreign Policy Plan (FPP)” on December 20th, 2011... Meanwhile, the Canadian Premier Minister Stephen Harper looked forward to visit China soon”. The new FPP reveal that the Canadian government begins to recover the Sino-Canadian relations, and Stephen Harper visited China and signed the documents about trading and increase non-governmental communication in the beginning of 2012, which is the “Recovery Period”.
China is one of the most important markets for Canadian companies. The book Canada-china: Building a strong economic partnership, set up an economic infrastructure between Canada and China. “Since 2006, the Asia–Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative (APGCI) has devoted over C$1 billion to refurbish and expand maritime ports, airports, rail, roads and pipeline infrastructure connecting Canada and the eastern United States with Asia by way of Canada’s western seaboard...Canada’s geography strategically places it on what is emerging as the world’s single most important axis of two-way trade and investment, between the United States and a regional Asian economy centred on China.” According to the analyze of this book, there are a vast potential for future economic development between Canada and China. For example, there are a large number of Canadian product and resources, such as “mineral and grain”, are export to China. The Canadian companies understand how important the business opportunity in China. The quantity demanded of grain and mineral is increasing because of the high population and the improvement of Chinese life quality .The Canadian companies can export massive amounts of grains to China for high income. However, a good relationship is the first step to open the new market. The Canadian government needs to change a mentality to realize “win-win” with Asian countries, especially China. So keeping a good foreign affairs with Chinese government should become the task for Canadian government.
The political struggles in Canada and China are the “stumbling block” in Sino-Canadian relations. Stephen Harper was the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, he prefer to keep a good relationship with the United States when he became the Canadian Primer Minister. Duane Bratt’s article Mr. Harper Goes to War: Canada, Afghanistan, and the Return of “High Politics” in Canadian Foreign Policy analysis the Mr. Harper’s foreign policy, which is keep alliance relations with United States, “Stephen Harper...had been very critical of the domestic policies of the Mulroney government...but he praised Mulroney’s foreign policy...ability to manage Canada-US relations was singled out. Mulroney’s role in achieving the Canada-US free trade agreement was an obvious reference point, but Harper also wanted to show that could also stand up to the Americans. Therefore, Harper would frequently invoke Mulroney’s leadership...What Harper was saying was that a Conservative government would follow the practice of the Mulroney government in its handling of Canada-US relations...”. It reveal that Mr. Harper wish to encourage the development of Canada-US relations as “lean to one side”, which is support “the United States is our closest neighbor, our best ally, our biggest customer, and our most consistent friend”7. Stephen Harper’s foreign policy must opposite the Communism ideology and following the Capitalism ideology, which is the rule to maintain the alliance relationship with the U.S., which means Canada should remain adversarial to China in politics to oppose the Communism.
This also happened in China. Teresa Wright’s article Inside the Authoritarian State: Perpetuating Communist Party Rule in China describe the contradiction in Chinese politics after 2011, “...the relationship of major socioeconomic sectors to the regime and to each other is fundamentally different in China. ...China 's ruling elites have pursued policies that mix capitalism and socialism in such a way that both prosperous and struggling socioeconomic sectors have benefited materially. The result has been that--despite widespread dissatisfaction with CCP corruption and injustice, particularly at the local level--no socioeconomic group has had an economic reason to seek the downfall of the CCP”. The Communist Party of China maintained the power through rapid economic development and the control of media and military forces. In the period of Hu Jingtao became the president of China and the General Secretary of CPC (2002-2012), the populist politician like Bo Xilai, the Secretary of Chongqing municipal party Committee of CPC, becomes threat to the authorities. According to the Globe and Mail, Mr. Bo “was the Communist Party figure Canadians went out of their way to see... recently called an old friend”9. However, Mr. Bo was arrested by Chinese government, even though after he meet Mr. Harper in Chongqing, which “the most-thumbed page of Canada’s China Rolodex is now gone”. In summary, the ascent of economics in China and Stephen Harper’s foreign policy push Canada’s relations with China further and further down, including the Dalai Lama’s Honorary Citizen and Bo Xilai’s downfall. However, the economic and non-governmental communication between Canada and China are still keeping “fiery”. How to keep a balance relations with China becomes an important issue in Canadian foreign policy if Mr. Harper insist to “lean to one side” with the U.S. On one hand, China is becoming the biggest market in the world. Keeping good relations and export Canadian products to China will increase the income for Canadian companies and government. The economic alliance will be the “win-win” with China and Canada. On the other hand, China is the biggest communist country in the world as well. The ideologies between these two countries are contrariety. The Canadian government must become the adversary to follow same the Capitalism ideology as the U.S. to maintain the alliance relationship. Canada should not underestimate the importance of working on specific issues. In the same way, the Canadian government should maintain a strong economic engagement with China. However, if Canada follows the Capitalistic ideology, it should balance its relationship with China.
References
Duane Bratt (2007)Mr.
Harper Goes to War: Canada, Afghanistan, and the Return of “High Politics”in Canadian Foreign Policy. Canadian Journal of Political Science,10, 174-220.
Teresa Wright (2011)Inside the Authoritarian State : Perpetuating Communist Party Rule in China. Journal of International Affairs, 1, 35-41.
Wang Xinying(2013) Contemporary China studies in Canada.The contemporary world and socialism,10, 25-30.
Canadian Chamber of Commerce, ebrary, I., & Canadian Electronic Library (Firm). (2010). Canada-china: Building a strong economic partnership. Ottawa, Ont: Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
Campbell Clark. (2012, March 15). Bo Xilai 's ouster severs vital Canada-China link. The Global and Mail. Reserved from
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/bo-xilais-ouster-severs-vital-canada-china-link/article4101472/
China is the third largest export destination and second largest source of imports for Canada. However, the Sino-Canadian relations are not as stable and positive as the Canadian-American relations. Canada is one of the world 's richest and most economically developed countries. China is the biggest developing country and Communist country in the world. China is also the world 's second largest economy after the United States; it is considered an emerging economy because of its rapid growth and industrialization after the “Reform and Opining up policy” in 1978. The Chinese market, with dramatically increasing Chinese economy, has become more and more important for Canadian companies since the …show more content…
Financial Crisis in 2008. The export of resource to China and the increasing of immigration for Chinese are both the stimulus measures in Canada. The non-governmental communication is “fiery”, which connect these two nations closely.
Unfortunately, the official communication between Chinese government and Canadian government are kept a low profile beginning in 1970s, which fell into low ebb through the Conservative Party of Canada in power after 2006. The Sino-Canadian relations recovered in 2012 but fell down again shortly. Why are the Sino-Canadian relations like riding a “roller-coaster”? This essay will analysis the reason of the unstable Sino-Canadian relations through different history periods, the economic growth in China and the Political struggles between Canada and China. Thus, are Canada and China friends or enemies? It depends on whether we look at economic or politics.
The development of Sino-Canadian relations can be divided in three periods, the Initial Period (1971-2005), the Freeze-up Period (2006-2010) and the Recovery Period (2011- ).
The Journal article “the Contemporary China studies in Canada” by Wang Xinying, published in The contemporary world and socialism, an official journal magazine by Compilation and translation bureau of the CPC, describe a general relations between Beijing and Ottawa from 1970s to 2000s.The Initial period can also called “the Honeymoon Period” because the Canadian federal government began to increase the communication with China through “education, agricultural, medical and civil issues” in 1980s. Wang believed that the Canadian loans and aid helps China to increase the develop of economic. Meanwhile, there are many of Chinese research programs were subsidized by Canadian federal government, which also promoted the growth of Chinese science and …show more content…
technology.
The “Initial Period” or “Honeymoon period” ended in 2006 when Stephen Harper became the Prime Minister of Canada. Mr. Harper and new Canadian government began to reduce the communication with China and focus on keep good relationship with the United States. Canadian government “condemned Chinese government in the issues of Falungong, Taiwan and Tibet which is inhuman” . After the Dalai Lama became an Honorary Citizen of Canada and Stephen Harper refused to attend the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, the Sino-Canadian relations “dropped to freezing point” . The year of 2011 was a crucial year to recovery the relations through “...the Canadian government confirmed ten “Priority Foreign Countries”, includes China, as their new “Foreign Policy Plan (FPP)” on December 20th, 2011... Meanwhile, the Canadian Premier Minister Stephen Harper looked forward to visit China soon”. The new FPP reveal that the Canadian government begins to recover the Sino-Canadian relations, and Stephen Harper visited China and signed the documents about trading and increase non-governmental communication in the beginning of 2012, which is the “Recovery Period”.
China is one of the most important markets for Canadian companies. The book Canada-china: Building a strong economic partnership, set up an economic infrastructure between Canada and China. “Since 2006, the Asia–Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative (APGCI) has devoted over C$1 billion to refurbish and expand maritime ports, airports, rail, roads and pipeline infrastructure connecting Canada and the eastern United States with Asia by way of Canada’s western seaboard...Canada’s geography strategically places it on what is emerging as the world’s single most important axis of two-way trade and investment, between the United States and a regional Asian economy centred on China.” According to the analyze of this book, there are a vast potential for future economic development between Canada and China. For example, there are a large number of Canadian product and resources, such as “mineral and grain”, are export to China. The Canadian companies understand how important the business opportunity in China. The quantity demanded of grain and mineral is increasing because of the high population and the improvement of Chinese life quality .The Canadian companies can export massive amounts of grains to China for high income. However, a good relationship is the first step to open the new market. The Canadian government needs to change a mentality to realize “win-win” with Asian countries, especially China. So keeping a good foreign affairs with Chinese government should become the task for Canadian government.
The political struggles in Canada and China are the “stumbling block” in Sino-Canadian relations. Stephen Harper was the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, he prefer to keep a good relationship with the United States when he became the Canadian Primer Minister. Duane Bratt’s article Mr. Harper Goes to War: Canada, Afghanistan, and the Return of “High Politics” in Canadian Foreign Policy analysis the Mr. Harper’s foreign policy, which is keep alliance relations with United States, “Stephen Harper...had been very critical of the domestic policies of the Mulroney government...but he praised Mulroney’s foreign policy...ability to manage Canada-US relations was singled out. Mulroney’s role in achieving the Canada-US free trade agreement was an obvious reference point, but Harper also wanted to show that could also stand up to the Americans. Therefore, Harper would frequently invoke Mulroney’s leadership...What Harper was saying was that a Conservative government would follow the practice of the Mulroney government in its handling of Canada-US relations...”. It reveal that Mr. Harper wish to encourage the development of Canada-US relations as “lean to one side”, which is support “the United States is our closest neighbor, our best ally, our biggest customer, and our most consistent friend”7. Stephen Harper’s foreign policy must opposite the Communism ideology and following the Capitalism ideology, which is the rule to maintain the alliance relationship with the U.S., which means Canada should remain adversarial to China in politics to oppose the Communism.
This also happened in China. Teresa Wright’s article Inside the Authoritarian State: Perpetuating Communist Party Rule in China describe the contradiction in Chinese politics after 2011, “...the relationship of major socioeconomic sectors to the regime and to each other is fundamentally different in China. ...China 's ruling elites have pursued policies that mix capitalism and socialism in such a way that both prosperous and struggling socioeconomic sectors have benefited materially. The result has been that--despite widespread dissatisfaction with CCP corruption and injustice, particularly at the local level--no socioeconomic group has had an economic reason to seek the downfall of the CCP”. The Communist Party of China maintained the power through rapid economic development and the control of media and military forces. In the period of Hu Jingtao became the president of China and the General Secretary of CPC (2002-2012), the populist politician like Bo Xilai, the Secretary of Chongqing municipal party Committee of CPC, becomes threat to the authorities. According to the Globe and Mail, Mr. Bo “was the Communist Party figure Canadians went out of their way to see... recently called an old friend”9. However, Mr. Bo was arrested by Chinese government, even though after he meet Mr. Harper in Chongqing, which “the most-thumbed page of Canada’s China Rolodex is now gone”. In summary, the ascent of economics in China and Stephen Harper’s foreign policy push Canada’s relations with China further and further down, including the Dalai Lama’s Honorary Citizen and Bo Xilai’s downfall. However, the economic and non-governmental communication between Canada and China are still keeping “fiery”. How to keep a balance relations with China becomes an important issue in Canadian foreign policy if Mr. Harper insist to “lean to one side” with the U.S. On one hand, China is becoming the biggest market in the world. Keeping good relations and export Canadian products to China will increase the income for Canadian companies and government. The economic alliance will be the “win-win” with China and Canada. On the other hand, China is the biggest communist country in the world as well. The ideologies between these two countries are contrariety. The Canadian government must become the adversary to follow same the Capitalism ideology as the U.S. to maintain the alliance relationship. Canada should not underestimate the importance of working on specific issues. In the same way, the Canadian government should maintain a strong economic engagement with China. However, if Canada follows the Capitalistic ideology, it should balance its relationship with China.
References
Duane Bratt (2007)Mr.
Harper Goes to War: Canada, Afghanistan, and the Return of “High Politics”in Canadian Foreign Policy. Canadian Journal of Political Science,10, 174-220.
Teresa Wright (2011)Inside the Authoritarian State : Perpetuating Communist Party Rule in China. Journal of International Affairs, 1, 35-41.
Wang Xinying(2013) Contemporary China studies in Canada.The contemporary world and socialism,10, 25-30.
Canadian Chamber of Commerce, ebrary, I., & Canadian Electronic Library (Firm). (2010). Canada-china: Building a strong economic partnership. Ottawa, Ont: Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
Campbell Clark. (2012, March 15). Bo Xilai 's ouster severs vital Canada-China link. The Global and Mail. Reserved from
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/bo-xilais-ouster-severs-vital-canada-china-link/article4101472/