Shortly after winning the federal election in 1968, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau remarked on the need for world recognition of the People’s Republic of China multiple times.
With Canada’s help, the People’s Republic of China got a seat at the United Nations General Assembly in 1971, and many other Western countries started establishing their own relations with the Communist regime.
Canada went on to help China’s development with foreign aid, via both bilateral and multilateral channels.
The list of countries establishing diplomatic relations with China expanded rapidly, and so did the international standing of China.
Canadian taxpayers unwillingly poured millions into China each year. Canada also helped China develop its science and technology programs, beginning in the 1980s.
In 2001, Canadian taxpayers gave close to $70 million in aid to China. The same year, China spent close to US $30 billion on its military. Canada’s military spending was about US $8 billion.
In 2001, the Chinese regime joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) with the backing of U.S. President Bill Clinton and Canada.
The U.S. helped China build up foreign reserves and boost its economy, while costing millions of jobs in the United States and Canada as manufacturers relocated to China to take advantage of cheap labour.
Between 2001 and 2011 Canada lost close to 550,000 manufacturing jobs and 150,000 to 170,000 jobs due to increased Chinese imports.
Both Clinton and Canada’s prime minister Jean Chrétien, sold the idea of China to the World Trade Organization. In the hope of linking China to Western economies to improve the rule of law in China and help turn the regime.
This same communist regime slaughtered thousands of pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square, 12 years earlier
By 2018, the Canada-China deficit was over C$40 billion and US-China $380 billion.
China is now the world’s second-largest economy and has the second-highest military spending in the world, after the United States.
In Summary
Kovrig and Spavor remain behind bars, and Beijing continues to block Canada’s canola imports, which are against WTO rules.
Inside China millions of people, including Uyghurs, Falun Gong adherents, Tibetans and Christians continue to face persecution, death, and even forced organ harvesting.
Beijing-backed government in Hong Kong is violently cracking down on pro-democracy protesters.
It’s worth pondering whether Ottawa should re-evaluate its China policy?
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