Category: China

The country Justin Trudeau most admires? You won't believe it.

Smog in China
Residents ride bicycles along a street amid heavy haze in Xingtai, Hebei province November 3, 2013. Dense smog has periodically shrouded major cities in north and northeast China in recent years, raising increasing public discontent, Xinhua News Agency reported. (REUTERS/China Daily)

So, the ladies had questions. Like this one:

“Which nation, besides Canada, which nation’s administration do you most admire, and why?”

There were about 100 people in the crowd  at swank downtown Toronto meeting place who’d paid $250 each to be able to ask Justin Trudeau questions and, as the ad said, to “really get to know the future prime minister.”

Ok, so other than Canada, which country’s government does Trudeau “most admire”? Continue reading The country Justin Trudeau most admires? You won't believe it.

The disturbing push of aggressive Chinese state capitalism

Port of Chongqing
CHONGQING – I snapped this picture while covering Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s 2012 visit to Chongqing. One of the first shipments of frozen Canadian pork that had been allowed into China had just arrived at Chongqing’s massive port — it’s the one with the Canadian flag on it — and Canadian and Chinese officials were heralding its arrival as a sign of a new commercial relationship between the two countries. Later that day, Harper would sign the agreement to bring two pandas to Canada. (DAVID AKIN / QMI Agency)

Heriberto Araújo and Juan Pablo Cardenal are the authors of China’s Silent Army: The Pioneers, Traders, Fixers and Workers Who Are Remaking The World in Beijing’s Image. Today in the New York Times, they have a long interesting piece in which they argue that China’s “state capitalism” represents a real threat to the West and to the values — the rule of law, political freedom and fair competition — important to the West. And Canada — “a progressive bastion” — gets a prominent mention:

Europeans and Americans [and Canadians for that matter] tend to fret over Beijing’s assertiveness in the South China Sea, its territorial disputes with Japan, and cyberattacks on Western firms, but all of this is much less important than a phenomenon that is less visible but more disturbing: the aggressive worldwide push of Chinese state capitalism…

Continue reading The disturbing push of aggressive Chinese state capitalism

China's new leaders issue first great directive: Stamp out pomp!

RedCarpets
BEIJING – China’s leaders are banning the red carpets and brass bands. I snapped this pic in the Great Hall of the People in February during Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s most recent visit there.

When I first heard this, I thought it was a piece by The Onion or some satirical news site. But no, it appears that China’s leaders have gotten some sort of message. Here’s the Daily Telegraph‘s man in Beijing, Malcolm Moore:

[China’s Communist] Party leaders Continue reading China's new leaders issue first great directive: Stamp out pomp!

Meanwhile in the South China Sea: China moves its warships

Hong Kong’s largest circulation English daily newspaper reports:

China has sent five warships to the disputed Scarborough Shoal off the west coast of the Philippines with the warning that Beijing is ready for “any escalation” of the conflict. Continue reading Meanwhile in the South China Sea: China moves its warships