I see that Harper has sent sent Lawrence Cannon to China to lecture them on human rights issues.
Harper has done more damage to Canada-China relationships since 2006 than any of us could suspect. Sending Cannon over there is, in many respects, going to be seen by Beijing as another snub.
Given Canada's appalling treatment of its citizens held abroad in dubious circumstances, its not like the Harper government is in any position to lecture anybody on human rights - and Beijing knows this. They also know that they are in control at this point in time.
I'm putting better than even odds that Cannon will continue Harper's blowhard patterns and he will make already chilly relations with China positively Arctic. (Why do you think Canadian students were quarantined last week? This is typical of how China expresses its displeasure, and I expect that the Harper approach to things will continue to make a bad situation worse.
Showing posts with label China. Show all posts
Showing posts with label China. Show all posts
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Harper: A Little Light In The Foreign Affairs Department
I've said since day one that the HarperCon$ are lacking in wisdom when it comes to their approach to foreign affairs.
Harper's reaction to Chretien's criticism of Harper's absence from the Olympics is a case in point.
What Harper fails to recognize in all of this is the importance of symbolism to the Chinese. His approach has been to snub and upbraid China at every opportunity.
His absence from the Olympic Opening Ceremonies was a deliberate slap in the face to a nation that is still very, very sensitive to such things. Where Canada spent much of the 1990s quietly building its influence with Beijing, and early in 2006 could probably have successfully got Celil brought home, Harper has thrown that away on the altar of neoCon dogma.
Harper's lame attempt to lash out fails to recognize both the political and economic consequences of a swaggering foreign policy where a nation like China is involved.
Perhaps the greatest irony of all this is recorded here, where we find Harper spouting off about the Canadian Government's obligation to stand up for its citizens when they are held abroad. It's a dark irony given how often we see this government ignoring the maltreatment of Canadians at the hands of foreign powers.
Harper's reaction to Chretien's criticism of Harper's absence from the Olympics is a case in point.
What Harper fails to recognize in all of this is the importance of symbolism to the Chinese. His approach has been to snub and upbraid China at every opportunity.
His absence from the Olympic Opening Ceremonies was a deliberate slap in the face to a nation that is still very, very sensitive to such things. Where Canada spent much of the 1990s quietly building its influence with Beijing, and early in 2006 could probably have successfully got Celil brought home, Harper has thrown that away on the altar of neoCon dogma.
Harper's lame attempt to lash out fails to recognize both the political and economic consequences of a swaggering foreign policy where a nation like China is involved.
Perhaps the greatest irony of all this is recorded here, where we find Harper spouting off about the Canadian Government's obligation to stand up for its citizens when they are held abroad. It's a dark irony given how often we see this government ignoring the maltreatment of Canadians at the hands of foreign powers.
Monday, November 05, 2007
China - The United States of the 21st Century?
I've been thinking about this for a while. As the US finds its economy faltering, and its wars abroad gradually becoming unsustainably expensive, China is positively soaring with an economy that is booming, and arguably an aggressive desire to advance themselves.
In the latter half of the 20th Century, we saw the post-WWII era United States being similarly successful both economically, but also in their desire to stretch beyond where they once were. The space programs were something of a hallmark for showcasing progress. Somewhere after the Challenger disaster in the 1980s, the US relegated its space programs to the back seat, starving them for funds and questioning the value of the results (mostly because it seems that neo-con politicians can't see beyond the end of their fiscal noses).
Fast forward 25 or so years, and we see the US economy in shambles, its manufacturing sector mostly gutted as the holy grail of the "free market" has moved most manufacturing offshore and public education levels dropping dramatically. (The legacy of Reaganomics?)
On the flip side of the coin, we see China aggressively growing their capabilities, and spending huge amounts of money on the kind of space exploration programs that NASA can only dream of.
Does the first half of the 21st Century belong to China in much the same way that the latter half of the 20th belonged to the United States? It's hard to say for sure, but at the moment, it looks to me as if the US has a deep canyon to climb out of while China is aggressively beginning to assert itself as a power to be reckoned with both politically and economically.
In the latter half of the 20th Century, we saw the post-WWII era United States being similarly successful both economically, but also in their desire to stretch beyond where they once were. The space programs were something of a hallmark for showcasing progress. Somewhere after the Challenger disaster in the 1980s, the US relegated its space programs to the back seat, starving them for funds and questioning the value of the results (mostly because it seems that neo-con politicians can't see beyond the end of their fiscal noses).
Fast forward 25 or so years, and we see the US economy in shambles, its manufacturing sector mostly gutted as the holy grail of the "free market" has moved most manufacturing offshore and public education levels dropping dramatically. (The legacy of Reaganomics?)
On the flip side of the coin, we see China aggressively growing their capabilities, and spending huge amounts of money on the kind of space exploration programs that NASA can only dream of.
Does the first half of the 21st Century belong to China in much the same way that the latter half of the 20th belonged to the United States? It's hard to say for sure, but at the moment, it looks to me as if the US has a deep canyon to climb out of while China is aggressively beginning to assert itself as a power to be reckoned with both politically and economically.
Friday, November 02, 2007
Treading On Thin Ice
I've said before that you don't handle China by trying to push them around.
I thought that Harper's handling of the recent visit of The Dalai Lama to Canada would ruffle some feathers in China. Sure enough, it did.
Okay, if HarperCreep has sent out orders to STFU about it to Foreign Affairs, that probably means the Chinese have started returning the favour when it comes to Harper's posturing and blowhard rhetoric about human rights.
Now, there's a slight difference between "lodging a protest" and what the Chinese are doing here. I suspect after Harper's lecturing of Chinese leadership on human rights issues, China's more than a little ticked off right now.
Nice attempt to minimize things here, but Mr. Travis is quietly ignoring something - China needs those rail cars, and any country that it would buy them from has been hospitable to the Dalai Lama. China's gearing up for the Olympics in 2010 - they desperately need to complete a plethora of infrastructure projects, and starting a diplomatic / trade war isn't going to help them. Once they are closer to the Olympics, then you can expect China to get a whole lot harsher about things.
Oh yes, let's not forget the increasing signs of economic weakening in the US economy, which will inevitably bring Canada along for the ride to some degree - by 2010, the world economic power picture may well look quite different than it does today.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again - China does not respond to the kind of strongarm tactics that Harper seems to want to use. It never has, and likely never will. Canada trying to play "strong man" in this situation is almost laughable, as we are a relatively small nation.
I thought that Harper's handling of the recent visit of The Dalai Lama to Canada would ruffle some feathers in China. Sure enough, it did.
The Chinese embassy in Canada confirmed Thursday that Robert Wright had been “called in by the Chinese Foreign Ministry for a representation.”
No details were provided but it's believed the move was designed as a dressing down of Canada for the red-carpet treatment accorded to the Tibetan spiritual leader, regarded by China as a separatist who is undermining its national sovereignty.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has refused to discuss the issue. Repeated calls and e-mails from The Globe and Mail asking whether a protest had been lodged with Mr. Wright were met with delays and promises from the departmental spokesman to call back, but no confirmation of the news.
Okay, if HarperCreep has sent out orders to STFU about it to Foreign Affairs, that probably means the Chinese have started returning the favour when it comes to Harper's posturing and blowhard rhetoric about human rights.
The Dalai Lama repeated in Canada this week that he is seeking only autonomy for Tibet within a sovereign China and is not interested in separation.
The summoning of Mr. Wright mirrors Chinese actions in response to recent similar face-to-face meetings between the Dalai Lama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. President George W. Bush.
German Ambassador Michael Schaefer was called to the Chinese Foreign Ministry before the meeting with Ms. Merkel took place in September, while China lodged its protest with U.S. Ambassador Clark Randt a day after Mr. Bush's meeting with the Dalai Lama, who was given the Congressional Gold Medal.
Now, there's a slight difference between "lodging a protest" and what the Chinese are doing here. I suspect after Harper's lecturing of Chinese leadership on human rights issues, China's more than a little ticked off right now.
Dermot Travis, executive director of the Canada-Tibet Committee, said he believed “China is posturing at best” and that Beijing's latest move would have little real impact. “I noticed that Bombardier yesterday was awarded a $590-million deal in China to supply rail cars to China,” Mr. Travis said.
Nice attempt to minimize things here, but Mr. Travis is quietly ignoring something - China needs those rail cars, and any country that it would buy them from has been hospitable to the Dalai Lama. China's gearing up for the Olympics in 2010 - they desperately need to complete a plethora of infrastructure projects, and starting a diplomatic / trade war isn't going to help them. Once they are closer to the Olympics, then you can expect China to get a whole lot harsher about things.
Oh yes, let's not forget the increasing signs of economic weakening in the US economy, which will inevitably bring Canada along for the ride to some degree - by 2010, the world economic power picture may well look quite different than it does today.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again - China does not respond to the kind of strongarm tactics that Harper seems to want to use. It never has, and likely never will. Canada trying to play "strong man" in this situation is almost laughable, as we are a relatively small nation.
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