Stephen Harper's arrival in China today signals that country's importance to a Conservative political agenda focused on trade diversification and job creation.
This is the prime minister's second trip to China since 2009, and this time he's accompanied by a big entourage: five cabinet ministers, six MPs and a business delegation of 40.
It's a reflection of the fact Harper has come to see China as vital to Canada's economy, and recognizes the two nations are linked by more than dollars.
Mandarin and Cantonese are Canada's third-most spoken languages, after English and French. More than 1.3 million Canadian residents are of Chinese origin.
"Our deepening ties with China and with the Asia-Pacific region in general will generate real benefits for Canadians in terms of jobs and long-term economic growth," Andrew MacDougall, a Harper representative, said in a telephone news briefing.
Reported McDougall: "The prime minister will meet China's next generation of leaders [and will] emphasize that Canada is resource rich, techno-logically sophisticated, globally engaged, open to investment and welcoming to tourists, students and business people."
A federal website acknowledges: "the bilateral relation-ship has experienced some obstacles in recent years," a possible reference to Harper's 2007 decision to welcome the visiting Dalai Lama and his early emphasis on China's human rights transgressions.
But clearly the countries have moved on, with China signal-ling it may soon dispatch a pair of pandas to Canada - Beijing's way of delivering a bear hug.
Ottawa's specific priorities for relations with the Asian giant, says the federal website, are governance, trade, climate change and health.
The PM also is expected to raise concern about China's veto of a weekend UN Security Council resolution calling on Syria's president to step aside, as well as concern about the ongoing threat posed by Iran's nuclear program.
On trade, China became Canada's second largest partner back in 2003, surpassing the U.K. and Japan.
Canada tends to ship raw commodities east, with Alberta and B.C. being the biggest provincial exporters.
On the import side, Canada buys a whack of Chinese computers, auto parts, audio and video equipment and house-hold appliances.
Worryingly, this country's trade deficit with China has expanded: from $3.9 billion in 1997 to $26.8 billion in 2006.
One way to help redress that imbalance, of course, would be through Canadian energy exports - which is part of Harper's recently stated plan to move away from shipping oil exclusively to the U.S.
In terms of foreign investment, people in both countries have hung back, notes the Canada China Business Council.
According to its research, Canadian investment over yonder totalled a modest $3.3 billion in 2009, making it only the 21st largest foreign destination for Canadian investors.
"We need to give some confidence to Canadian businesses operating in China," said MacDougall, adding it's still "pre-mature to talk about free trade talks [with Beijing] right now." Chinese investment in Canada reached $8.9 billion in 2009, making China the 10th largest foreign investment player in Canada.
The business council points out, however, that Chinese investment in Canada has boomed recently through acquisition of energy and mining interests related to Alberta's oilsands.
Meanwhile, tourism involving Chinese visitors to Canada grew by 25 per cent in 2011, thanks in large part to China's decision to give Canada "approved destination status."
And 64,000 Chinese students now study in Canada.
All of which recently prompted David Mulroney, Canada's ambassador to China, to label the current era in Canada-China relations "a golden period."
Original Article
Source: vancouver sun
Author: Barbara Yaffe
This is the prime minister's second trip to China since 2009, and this time he's accompanied by a big entourage: five cabinet ministers, six MPs and a business delegation of 40.
It's a reflection of the fact Harper has come to see China as vital to Canada's economy, and recognizes the two nations are linked by more than dollars.
Mandarin and Cantonese are Canada's third-most spoken languages, after English and French. More than 1.3 million Canadian residents are of Chinese origin.
"Our deepening ties with China and with the Asia-Pacific region in general will generate real benefits for Canadians in terms of jobs and long-term economic growth," Andrew MacDougall, a Harper representative, said in a telephone news briefing.
Reported McDougall: "The prime minister will meet China's next generation of leaders [and will] emphasize that Canada is resource rich, techno-logically sophisticated, globally engaged, open to investment and welcoming to tourists, students and business people."
A federal website acknowledges: "the bilateral relation-ship has experienced some obstacles in recent years," a possible reference to Harper's 2007 decision to welcome the visiting Dalai Lama and his early emphasis on China's human rights transgressions.
But clearly the countries have moved on, with China signal-ling it may soon dispatch a pair of pandas to Canada - Beijing's way of delivering a bear hug.
Ottawa's specific priorities for relations with the Asian giant, says the federal website, are governance, trade, climate change and health.
The PM also is expected to raise concern about China's veto of a weekend UN Security Council resolution calling on Syria's president to step aside, as well as concern about the ongoing threat posed by Iran's nuclear program.
On trade, China became Canada's second largest partner back in 2003, surpassing the U.K. and Japan.
Canada tends to ship raw commodities east, with Alberta and B.C. being the biggest provincial exporters.
On the import side, Canada buys a whack of Chinese computers, auto parts, audio and video equipment and house-hold appliances.
Worryingly, this country's trade deficit with China has expanded: from $3.9 billion in 1997 to $26.8 billion in 2006.
One way to help redress that imbalance, of course, would be through Canadian energy exports - which is part of Harper's recently stated plan to move away from shipping oil exclusively to the U.S.
In terms of foreign investment, people in both countries have hung back, notes the Canada China Business Council.
According to its research, Canadian investment over yonder totalled a modest $3.3 billion in 2009, making it only the 21st largest foreign destination for Canadian investors.
"We need to give some confidence to Canadian businesses operating in China," said MacDougall, adding it's still "pre-mature to talk about free trade talks [with Beijing] right now." Chinese investment in Canada reached $8.9 billion in 2009, making China the 10th largest foreign investment player in Canada.
The business council points out, however, that Chinese investment in Canada has boomed recently through acquisition of energy and mining interests related to Alberta's oilsands.
Meanwhile, tourism involving Chinese visitors to Canada grew by 25 per cent in 2011, thanks in large part to China's decision to give Canada "approved destination status."
And 64,000 Chinese students now study in Canada.
All of which recently prompted David Mulroney, Canada's ambassador to China, to label the current era in Canada-China relations "a golden period."
Original Article
Source: vancouver sun
Author: Barbara Yaffe
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