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Canada should accept different values than China, focus on economic ties – Yahoo! Canada News
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Fri Oct 16, 4:39 PM
By Brenda Bouw, The Canadian Press
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VANCOUVER, B.C. – Canada needs to work harder on its relationship with China, setting aside different values and focusing more on opportunities with one of the world’s economic juggernauts, delegates at a business conference in Vancouver heard Friday.
And while some at the event, including a former Conservative MP, say it was a mistake for Prime Minister Stephen Harper to skip the Beijing Olympics in 2008, they believe the government is now doing a better job at strengthening ties.
“The prime minister should have been at the (Beijing) openings,” said former Conservative MP John Reynolds, who was, at one time, one of Harper’s closest political confidants.
“I agree his government did not do a good job on China in his first go-round. But since the last election, I can tell you I had a call from the prime minister … who said ‘You’ll be very happy to know, China is now on our agenda.”‘
Over the past year, Reynolds said Harper has been sending his ministers to China and is expected to visit himself next month. If Harper goes to China, it will be the first time since he became prime minister.
Harper was widely criticized for not going to the Beijing Games, blaming his absence at the time on a scheduling conflict.
Reynolds said Harper would have been to China by now if it hadn’t been for the pressures of a minority government, and the recent threat of another election.
“I think it’s pretty safe to say this trip he had planned for this fall will take place,” Reynolds told the more than 200 delegates in attendance.
He said Harper held “fact-finding” meetings with business leaders in Vancouver earlier this week about China, and has more discussions planned in Toronto in the near future.
“I think you’ll see a real change,” said Reynolds, who is now an adviser at law firm Lang Michener in Vancouver.
Paul Evans, director of the Institute of Asian Research at the University of British Columbia, agreed Harper should have attended the Beijing Games, but said Canada’s relations with China have improved since then.
“I think some mistakes were made and that cool politics, warm economics was not a sustainable approach,” Evans said. “I think the warming is happening step-by-step and confidence is coming back into the relationship.”
Evans said there have been “difficult moments” between the two countries in the past and there likely will be more in the future.
“We are never going to have a perfect relationship with China,” he said. “There are differences in values, there are a series of irritants that will always make it a complicated relationship. But I think China is looking for signs of warmer political relations.”
Evans also said Ottawa needs to make some “bold gestures” to improve its relationship with China. He suggested the Canadian cabinet hold a meeting in China, as an example.
“Something big, something original, I think is needed to make this the kind of era where global China benefits us,” Evans said.
“We need from our political leaders of all stripes … leadership on the China files. China is big, China is important, China is complicated. Those Canadians that are anxious about our values of freedom, human rights, democracy, the rules of law, the intersection of those with China is a hard matter.”
The conference also offered advice for companies doing business in China.
Gerry Wang, chief executive of Vancouver-based container ship company Seaspan Corp. (NYSE:SSW), said the key is understanding the business relationship, and worrying less about appearances.
Chinese-born Wang also poked fun at what he believes are overzealous approaches by western business people to gain favour with Chinese executives.
“Understand their requirements. If you don’t understand their requirements, it doesn’t matter how many karaoke nights you spend … You don’t have to love this guy to do business,” Wang said.
He also told the audience to forget gestures such as sending wine or maple syrup to executives in China.
“They don’t need gifts,” Wang said.
And as far as going out for drinks: “You are no match for these guys,” Wang joked. “They drink every day.”
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