Time to reenergize Canada-China relationship, Canadian observers say
OTTAWA, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) — After four years in office, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper will visit Beijing this week — a trip many influential Canadians believe is long overdue.
To gauge Canadians’ views of the Prime Minister’s trip to China, Xinhua recently interviewed leading Canadian academics, former politicians and other opinion shapers.
A SIGNIFICANT TRIP
All the interviewees agree that this is a very significant trip, for both China and Canada, given China’s stature on the world stage continues to grow.
“I think it is extremely important that China and Canada reenergize their relationship,” David Emerson, Canada’s former International Trade Minister, told Xinhua during a phone interview. He called the visit “an important milestone.”
Former Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Pierre S. Pettigrew said the delay in making the visit was a bad start but the prime minister was correcting his mistakes.
“It took the prime minister a long time, almost four years in office before visiting China,” he said.
However, Barbara McDougall, Canada’s former Secretary of State for External Affairs in the early 1990s, said the timing of the Prime Minister’s visit was good. “I think it will be a comfortable and productive meeting,” McDougall said.
Peter Harder, President of the Canada-China Business Council, said it was an interesting moment for Harper’s visit, given he was the chairman of the upcoming G8 and co-chairman of the G20 summits. Harder said the most important “deliverable” of this visit was that it took place.
“Traditionally, China and Canada have had very good relations, and this goes back a long time,” said Gregory Chin, who served in Canada’s embassy in Beijing from 2004 to 2006. This is an opportune moment for Prime Minister Harper and Chinese leaders to strengthen their personal relationship.
Jean Michel Laurin, Vice-President for Global Business Policy at Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, said he expected the PM’s visit to help “Canadian companies and Chinese companies do more business.”
