Tag: liu xiaobo

Reaction to my "Don't mind us Canucks: We're just here for pipelines and pandas" column

As we arrived in China last week covering Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s visit there, this column of mine was published in our newspaper chain. It concluded:

The Chinese are sensitive about [human rights issues]. They do not like to be called out on their lousy human rights record. The Chinese need not worry. The Canadians this week are here for pipelines and pandas.

After reading that column, someone named Will Wei on my Facebook page accuses me of “hate speech” Continue reading Reaction to my "Don't mind us Canucks: We're just here for pipelines and pandas" column

Canada and human rights in China: Are we making a difference?

Here’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper speaking in Shanghai at a dinner organized by the Canada-China Business Council. It is Dec. 4, 2009. After spending most of his speech talking about the importance of boosting the trading relationship between the two countries, there is this bit:

But ladies and gentlemen, just as trade is a two-way street, so too is dialogue.  Our government believes, and has always believed, that a mutually beneficial economic relationship is not incompatible with a good and frank dialogue on fundamental values like freedom, human rights and the rule of law. Continue reading Canada and human rights in China: Are we making a difference?