Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Fragment of E-mail to a Friend about My Report on Canada-China Relations
My report was finally released last week. It got media spin in the Globe and Mail as being mainly about spying. The other media interviews I have been doing on CBC TV and various radio all follow this line even though I ardently try and steer it toward the actual content of the report (response by interviewers who have a script of questions prepared by a producer being along the lines of "Yes, and going back to the security aspect . . ."). I am a bit despairing about it. Anyway on the upside in less than a week over 700 copies have been downloaded. I wonder who those 700 people are? I have been getting a lot of supportive e-mails from friends in DFAIT, CIDA and other people in Ottawa and China. No negative feedback received to date.
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2 comments:
Sir, I took both the Rise of China and the Human rights class that you taught a while back, and I must admit that while this may sound like a completely "pigheaded" thing to say, you are truly an outstanding lecturer. I loved your style, and I truly appreciate what I've learned in your classes!
The Canadian media's magnification of the security question in your report is reflective of the obsession in North America with the consequences of China's rise as a military superpower. I find there has been little reporting in the Canadian media of social issues in China Have China-watchers forgotten that domestic social issues may ultimately affect international relations? Hence why we need foreign service personnel capable of following and analysing domestic issues in China and how they relate to Canada's interest. (That said, perhaps it is time that Canada establish a foreign intelligence service.)
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