Standing in front of a Beijing Starbucks on a polluted October day I wondered what would approval of the Nexen–CNOOC deal mean for Canada and our relationship with China, not to overlook the Foreign Investment Protection Act and growing Chinese investment. We recently received an indication via the government’s new rules on foreign acquisitions. Or …
Read more “Doing Business with China without Selling Our Soul”
Eggs don’t seem so complicated until you stand in front of the egg shelf at a grocery store wondering which kind to buy: regular, free-run, veggie-fed, Omega3, free range, and organic. If you feel this way, you are not alone. People who buy cage-free eggs care about two things: humane and healthy choices. But does paying …
Grand houses, luxury cars, piles of electronic waste, and a blackened river are common sights in Guiyu, a small town in Southern China, becoming infamous as a dumping ground for international e-waste. Every year about 20 to 50 million tons of e-waste is produced in the world with 70% shipped to China, and the rest sent …
Since Prime Minister Harper changed his government’s policy on China, Canada is welcoming, indeed encouraging Chinese investment. According to Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, “The stock of foreign direct investment into Canada from China reached approximately C$14 billion at the end of 2010. Chinese firms are actively investing abroad and have expressed a …
Read more “Chinese Investment in Canadian Energy and Natural Resources: Boon or Bogey Man?”
Water shortages and pollution trouble China, with two thirds of over 600 cities lacking sufficient clean water. Industrial use and wastewater discharge are major causes for water shortages and heavy pollution with the textile industry the biggest source of both. In November 2011 Greenpeace published Dirty Laundry – Unraveling the corporate connections to toxic water pollution …
A girl is reading the newspaper, and after she finished she asked her mom, “Who is the Party Committee?” Mom answered, “The Party Committee is your dad, who doesn’t work at all but always scolds others.” The girl then asked, “Who is the government?” Mom answered, “The Government is me, who works all day long and is …
Read more “China for Dummies: Understanding the Roles of Major Political Groups”
China is now world’s second largest economy. The centre of global manufacturing, China is the world’s largest importer and its second largest exporter. By all economic indicators China has risen, and with sustained double digit growth is indeed still rising.This phenomenal transformation happened as companies across the world raced to relocate production to take advantage …
Indifference, Self-Righteousness or a Truly Principled Approach Canada is not only a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but Canadians were among its principal authors. The protection of human rights is a principle that Canadians take very seriously, one that deeply informs our world view and the way we interpret international relations. In 2006 …
Incredible dramatic economic growth since the 1970s has transformed China into a dominant force in the world economy, raising the standard of living for millions of Chinese. China’s new role as a global power presents new challenges to the ranking world powers. Western nations can no longer afford to ignore or isolate China, which is quickly …
Read more “On the Environment: Canada Continues to Lift Far Below our Weight in China”