Canada-China Relations: Navigating Trade and Diplomacy

PUBLISHED: 14/08/2020

Just when you think relations couldn’t get any worse between Canada and China...they do.

Last week, China ramped up the pressure on Canada by sentencing two Canadians to the death penalty. The bizarre part was they had already been convicted and sentenced to incarceration. Then it all changed. This relationship has been skidding into the ditch since Huawei Executive Meng Wangzhou was arrested in B.C. to be extradited to the U.S. Shortly after that, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were arrested on the accusation of espionage although nothing has been proven. Over 500 days in captivity and counting.

What is it going to take to thaw relations between the two countries or does Canada pivot away from dealing with China? Canada had been looking to China for increased trade. Whether that will happen is still in limbo.

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GUESTS:

Elliot Tepper - Distinguished Fellow Norman Patterson School of International Affairs - https://carleton.ca/linr/elliot-tepper/

Margaret McCuaig-Johnson - Asia Pacific Foundation and The China Institute University of Alberta - https://www.ualberta.ca/china-institute/about/people/senior-fellows/margaret-mccuaig-johnston.html

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REFERENCES:

https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2020/05/21/Canada-China-Save-Relationship/

https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/glavin-so-much-for-the-promised-new-framework-in-canada-china-relations

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-06-24/Impact-of-China-Canada-relations-on-Canadian-economy-RAmj2EnWwg/index.html

https://vancouversun.com/opinion/daphne-bramham-with-china-threatening-whats-next-for-canada-china-relations-following-meng-decision

https://globalnews.ca/news/7056639/china-canada-us-relationship/

https://peacediplomacy.org/2020/05/24/panel-discussion-the-future-of-canada-china-relations/

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2020-06-23/canadas-trudeau-must-toughen-stance-with-china-ex-diplomats-say

https://financialpost.com/news/economy/why-strained-china-canada-relations-will-strengthen-nafta

https://thediplomat.com/2020/06/the-meng-wanzhou-case-speaks-to-chinas-diplomatic-paranoia/

https://vancouversun.com/opinion/margaret-mccuaig-johnston-just-when-we-thought-canada-china-relations-could-not-get-worse

https://www.thestar.com/vancouver/2019/11/23/a-friend-of-china-no-more-why-a-longtime-canadian-ally-has-become-one-of-beijings-fierce-critics.html

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-the-crucial-china-opportunity-ahead-of-us/

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-53700474

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3096307/china-sentences-another-canadian-death-drug-trafficking