"We have frank and open discussions with China with respect to human rights as part of the mature bilateral relation that we have with this emerging superpower," Baird's spokesman said. "This government hasn't shied away from standing up for our principled position on human rights and foreign policy generally, and I don't think you'll see that change."
Thursday, July 14, 2011
DFAIT Reaffirms that Canada Will Not Change Approach to China on Human Rights (Sorry I Only Have It in Chinese)
加拿大外交部长约翰•贝尔德（John Baird）将于7月16日至20日对中国进行访问，这是贝尔德今年5月当选联邦外交部长后的首次出访。联邦外交部官员在外长出访前称，加拿大对于中国的人权状况依然非常关注，将会继续向中方施压，将继续与中方进行坦诚且富有成效的对话。
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Interesting Chinese Government Media Report on Corrupt Officials Abroad
"According to a report published by the People's Bank of China in
June, the number of runaway corrupt officials – mainly supervisors and
managers from government departments, enterprises and institutions –
has reached 16,000, resulting in the transfer of 800 billion yuan
($119 billion) in assets to other countries or regions.
The report was allegedly retracted later by the central bank from its website.
Since 2007, at least 580 fugitives accused of illegal fundraising,
bank fraud, illegal transfer of funds abroad and contract fraud have
gone on the run in other countries, mostly in North America and
Southeast Asia, with Canada often cited as a haven for corrupt Chinese
officials and fugitives, the Ministry of Public Security revealed late
last year."
June, the number of runaway corrupt officials – mainly supervisors and
managers from government departments, enterprises and institutions –
has reached 16,000, resulting in the transfer of 800 billion yuan
($119 billion) in assets to other countries or regions.
The report was allegedly retracted later by the central bank from its website.
Since 2007, at least 580 fugitives accused of illegal fundraising,
bank fraud, illegal transfer of funds abroad and contract fraud have
gone on the run in other countries, mostly in North America and
Southeast Asia, with Canada often cited as a haven for corrupt Chinese
officials and fugitives, the Ministry of Public Security revealed late
last year."
"Smuggler Lai Changxing nears extradition"
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/7438151.html
Minister Baird to Visit China and Indonesia
(No. A/46 - July 12, 2011) John Baird, Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister, will be travelling to China from July 16 to 20, 2011, for a bilateral visit, and to Bali, Indonesia from July 21 to 24, to attend the 44th ASEAN Ministerial Conference.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Lai Changxing may be returned to China on July 25
High-profile fugitive Lai Changxing has been arrested by Canadian Border Services agents and now faces possible deportation later this month to face smuggling and corruption charges in China.
He was taken into custody late last week, after Immigration Canada - following more than four years of deliberation - determined that Mr. Lai does not face a serious risk of torture from Chinese authorities.
Friday, July 08, 2011
New Book: The China Challenge: Sino-Canadian Relations in the 21st Century
The China Challenge: Sino-Canadian Relations in the 21st Century
Edited by Huhua Cao and Vivienne Poy:
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
Very disturbing report in South China Morning Post
"Silence of the Chinese dissidents"
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Politics in China's Exam System
I highly recommend this report by Eric Fish in the Asia Times:
" Politics in China's Exam System"
North Korea Becomes UN Champion for Disarmament (!!)
Minister Baird Expresses Disappointment over North Korea's Chairmanship of UN Conference on Disarmament
(No. 186 - June 30, 2011 - 11 a.m. ET) John Baird, Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister, today issued the following statement regarding North Korea's appointment to the chair of the United Nations Conference on Disarmament:
"North Korea is simply not a credible chair of a disarmament body.
"The fact that it gets a turn chairing a United Nations committee focused on disarmament is unacceptable, given the North Korean regime's efforts in the exact opposite direction.
"We call on North Korea to pass the chair on to a credible country that will advance the disarmament agenda within the UN. Canada will be immediately reviewing our participation in this committee's activities.
"North Korea should also open its facilities to international inspections.
"In October 2010, Canada announced the adoption of a controlled engagement policy toward North Korea and the imposition of additional economic sanctions against the regime under the Special Economic Measures Act. These measures followed a commitment made by Prime Minister Stephen Harper after the sinking of the South Korean naval vesselCheonan, which claimed the lives of 46 sailors.
"Canada will continue to take strong and principled positions in support of the fundamental Canadian values of democracy, human rights and justice."
- 30 -
Monday, June 27, 2011
Munk Debate on China
Munk Debate on China
On June 17th, 2011, the Aurea Foundation held the seventh semi-annual Munk Debate in Toronto. The participants debated the question "Does the 21st century belong to China?" Historian and author Niall Fergusson and David Daokui Li from Tsinghua University's School of Economics and Management in Beijing argued for the resolution. Henry Kissinger, U.S. Secretary of State from 1973 to 1977, and Fareed Zakaria, CNN Host and Editor-at-Large of TIME Magazine, spoke against the resolution.
China and the West Spy Games
Interesting article about new program at Fudan University, my alma mater.
"China Steps Up Its Intelligence Operation With New Spy Schools"
Sunday, June 12, 2011
PM's Statement on Foreign Policy in a Speech Last Friday night
Prime Minister Harper said: "Power is shifting. New forces are coming to the fore. Some we will be pleased to work with. Some we must resist. In such a world, strength is not an option; it is a vital necessity. Moral ambiguity, moral equivalence are not options, they are dangerous illusions."
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Comment on News Report about Disappeared Associates of Ai Weiwei
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson has said that Ai Weiwei's detention has "nothing to do with human rights". In that case I do wonder: what or who is the source of this doubtful claim of "nothing to do with human rights" that the Chinese MFA has been directed to pass along to the world?
http://m.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/22/ai-weiwei-friends-missing?cat=world&type=article
http://m.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/22/ai-weiwei-friends-missing?cat=world&type=article
Related to this is Andrew Potter's article "Who is afraid of the Chinese government?" that was published on Friday, May 20, 2011: http://www2.macleans.ca/
Friday, May 20, 2011
My Appearance on TV Panel on Implications of Population Aging in China
I participated in a panel on “Revisiting China’s One-Child Policy” broadcast on the Business News Network program “Headline” on May 19, 2011. Part One can be viewed here: http://watch.bnn.ca/#clip469909. Part Two can be viewed here: http://watch.bnn.ca/#clip469910.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Internal Factors in the Decline of the Popularity of the Liberal Party of Canada
The dramatic decline in popular support of the Liberal Party of Canada in the recent election was not anticipated by most observers. But in the end only 18.9% of voters supported the Liberals. Taking into account that some of those 18.9% voted to support an incumbent that had served them well in the past, it seems likely that the core support for the Liberals may have dropped as low as 15% on May 2.
I am not convinced by the explanations that I have been reading in the commentary sections of the popular press that attribute the reduction of the Liberal Party to just 34 seats in the House of Commons to external factors. These include: First of all, the effectiveness of the Conservative Party attack ads against Michael Ignatieff which questioned Ignatieff's commitment to Canada. Secondly the "unexpected" rise of support for the NDP attributed to the collapse of the Bloc Quebecois that reduced numbers for the Liberals. And finally, the painstaking work of Jason Kenney in gaining Conservative support by "the ethnic vote" which tipped the balance away from the Liberals in ridings in the Greater Toronto Area.
The other explanation, mostly coming from embittered Liberals, has been to blame the ineffectiveness of the Liberal leader, Michael Ignatieff. But the assertion in an Op-Ed in the Toronto Star published May 5 that the "Liberal defeat had one cause: Michael Ignatieff" suggesting that things would have gone much better had Bob Rae been in charge does not convince me either. Many claim that did not listen to the advice of seasoned Liberal insiders on political strategy before and during the election. While this accusation may be well-based, I don’t find this an adequate explanation.
In my line of work as a lecturer in the Department of Political Science at Brock University, I watch a lot of CPAC including broadcasts of Question Period in the House of Commmons. So I put in a lot of hours observing Michael Ignatieff's public statements in Parliament and at other events more of less daily since he became Leader of the Official Opposition in December 2008 ‘til he resigned earlier this month. On the face of it, Ignatieff was the kind of leader that I should have regarded as ideally suited to the position. He is very well-connected in London and Washington, a professor human rights at Harvard and author of a series of well-regarded books many on international affairs. One would have expected that he would have been a charismatic, articulate and insightful person of substance. But I agree with the characterization of Ignatieff by Tim Armstrong in that Op-Ed in the Toronto Star published May 5 that "his constant stridency in question period (when he was there) and in parliamentary debates was ineffective. On his bus forays across the country, he came across as professorial, condescending and insincere in asserting that he welcomed the opportunity to listen to — as opposed to lecture — Canadians." I took exception to his approach to his mode of responding to hostile questions from the press in the course of the election campaign. The image on the TV was of Ignatieff flanked by an assortment of Liberal candidates. At any challenging question he would smirk and produce an insincere tittering laugh chorused by the assembled entourage. It suggested am arrogant pettiness that rubbed me and I imagine other voters very wrong.
In general the Liberals didn't take being Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition seriously. They offered little in the way of innovative political alternatives. One felt that the Party leadership regarded program details as unimportant. That could be sorted out later. Main thing was that Canada should be governed by the Liberal Party elite. Government was their entitlement.
The decline of the Liberal Party of Canada does seem to follow the same sort of pattern that led to the decline of other once-great and solid Canadian institutions. For example only a few years ago Canada was the country of Eaton's, the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada "Red Tories," and Bell Canada. These were all supremely confident organizations with a strong sense of their own traditions and history, blithely unaware that they were becoming increasingly irrelevant in the face of changing modern conditions.
When it finallly became apparent that they were heading into difficulty they were too arrogantly set in their ways to effectively respond and up to the end were in denial that their institution once so vibrant "modern" and at the forefront of national life was about to crash, never to rise again.
The same process appears to be being repeated by the once dominant Liberal Party of Canada.
Anyway all things in life have a beginning, a middle and an end. It is time for Canadian politics to look forward, not back.
I am not convinced by the explanations that I have been reading in the commentary sections of the popular press that attribute the reduction of the Liberal Party to just 34 seats in the House of Commons to external factors. These include: First of all, the effectiveness of the Conservative Party attack ads against Michael Ignatieff which questioned Ignatieff's commitment to Canada. Secondly the "unexpected" rise of support for the NDP attributed to the collapse of the Bloc Quebecois that reduced numbers for the Liberals. And finally, the painstaking work of Jason Kenney in gaining Conservative support by "the ethnic vote" which tipped the balance away from the Liberals in ridings in the Greater Toronto Area.
The other explanation, mostly coming from embittered Liberals, has been to blame the ineffectiveness of the Liberal leader, Michael Ignatieff. But the assertion in an Op-Ed in the Toronto Star published May 5 that the "Liberal defeat had one cause: Michael Ignatieff" suggesting that things would have gone much better had Bob Rae been in charge does not convince me either. Many claim that did not listen to the advice of seasoned Liberal insiders on political strategy before and during the election. While this accusation may be well-based, I don’t find this an adequate explanation.
In my line of work as a lecturer in the Department of Political Science at Brock University, I watch a lot of CPAC including broadcasts of Question Period in the House of Commmons. So I put in a lot of hours observing Michael Ignatieff's public statements in Parliament and at other events more of less daily since he became Leader of the Official Opposition in December 2008 ‘til he resigned earlier this month. On the face of it, Ignatieff was the kind of leader that I should have regarded as ideally suited to the position. He is very well-connected in London and Washington, a professor human rights at Harvard and author of a series of well-regarded books many on international affairs. One would have expected that he would have been a charismatic, articulate and insightful person of substance. But I agree with the characterization of Ignatieff by Tim Armstrong in that Op-Ed in the Toronto Star published May 5 that "his constant stridency in question period (when he was there) and in parliamentary debates was ineffective. On his bus forays across the country, he came across as professorial, condescending and insincere in asserting that he welcomed the opportunity to listen to — as opposed to lecture — Canadians." I took exception to his approach to his mode of responding to hostile questions from the press in the course of the election campaign. The image on the TV was of Ignatieff flanked by an assortment of Liberal candidates. At any challenging question he would smirk and produce an insincere tittering laugh chorused by the assembled entourage. It suggested am arrogant pettiness that rubbed me and I imagine other voters very wrong.
In general the Liberals didn't take being Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition seriously. They offered little in the way of innovative political alternatives. One felt that the Party leadership regarded program details as unimportant. That could be sorted out later. Main thing was that Canada should be governed by the Liberal Party elite. Government was their entitlement.
The decline of the Liberal Party of Canada does seem to follow the same sort of pattern that led to the decline of other once-great and solid Canadian institutions. For example only a few years ago Canada was the country of Eaton's, the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada "Red Tories," and Bell Canada. These were all supremely confident organizations with a strong sense of their own traditions and history, blithely unaware that they were becoming increasingly irrelevant in the face of changing modern conditions.
When it finallly became apparent that they were heading into difficulty they were too arrogantly set in their ways to effectively respond and up to the end were in denial that their institution once so vibrant "modern" and at the forefront of national life was about to crash, never to rise again.
The same process appears to be being repeated by the once dominant Liberal Party of Canada.
Anyway all things in life have a beginning, a middle and an end. It is time for Canadian politics to look forward, not back.
My Take on Mr. Baird's Appointment and the Reinvigoration of Canadian Foreign Policy
The appointment of John Baird to Minister of Foreign Affairs suggests that under a stable majority, the Government of Canada will be able to put renewed emphasis on promoting Canada's prosperity through trade and on realizing Canada's security interests in international relations.
Mr. Baird in his previous ministries has demonstrated a strong commitment to implementation of the Prime Minister's agenda. He is a strong leader who is not afraid to take strong action when necessary to ensure that the Government's purposes are fully realized in the programming of the departments under his administration.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has been a problematic ministry for the Harper Government due to long association of its senior civil servants with Liberal Party elitism through Liberal Party associated think tanks and other agencies. This has been particularly true in the case of the North Asian Relations Division.
But the function of the professional civil servants in Foreign Affairs is to implement the foreign policy agenda of the elected government, not attempt to subvert this agenda. This would include the new Office of Religious Freedom for which the Prime Minister clearly intends a central role in Canada's foreign affairs, immigration, and developmental aid programming.
Under Mr. Baird one can expect to see a rigorous approach to ensuring that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will genuinely represent the interests of Canada abroad as these interests are understood and articulated by the Government of Canada elected by Canadians on May 2.
Mr. Baird in his previous ministries has demonstrated a strong commitment to implementation of the Prime Minister's agenda. He is a strong leader who is not afraid to take strong action when necessary to ensure that the Government's purposes are fully realized in the programming of the departments under his administration.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has been a problematic ministry for the Harper Government due to long association of its senior civil servants with Liberal Party elitism through Liberal Party associated think tanks and other agencies. This has been particularly true in the case of the North Asian Relations Division.
But the function of the professional civil servants in Foreign Affairs is to implement the foreign policy agenda of the elected government, not attempt to subvert this agenda. This would include the new Office of Religious Freedom for which the Prime Minister clearly intends a central role in Canada's foreign affairs, immigration, and developmental aid programming.
Under Mr. Baird one can expect to see a rigorous approach to ensuring that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will genuinely represent the interests of Canada abroad as these interests are understood and articulated by the Government of Canada elected by Canadians on May 2.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Academic Exchanges and Foreign Embassy-Sponsored Activities in China Being Curtailed
"At least 60 activities organized by the United States Embassy in Beijing -- including cultural forums, school programs, ambassadorial visits -- were canceled between February and April because of interference by the Chinese authorities, and some European missions have been similarly pressured. Several university conferences involving foreigners have been canceled, and the Ministry of Education is stepping up warnings to Chinese scholars heading abroad that they not take part in "anti-China" activities or engage with groups that promote democracy."
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Tuesday, May 03, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Some Thoughts on Implications of the Ai Weiwei Case
I am very concerned that while China signed the ICCPR in 1998, China is more and more flaunting the provisions of Article 14 and other articles with regard to citizens' entitlement to due process of law. Recently, there are more and more reports of people who support freedom of conscience and political democracy being incarcerated through arbitrary process by agents of the Chinese security apparatus without involvement of the police or judiciary. While we all question the validity of wide application of laws against "threats against state security," now Chinese people are being "disappeared" for political reasons without any charge being laid at all..
For example Ai Weiwei was taken away by persons unknown, evidently not police, and some days later we are told by the Foreign Ministry that he is being held in an undisclosed location while being investigated on suspicion of tax evasion and bigamy. One would expect a process of 1. investigation by the procuracy; 2. charges laid; 3. arrest; 4. open trial (as tax evasion and bigamy do not fall into matters of state security that would call for a closed trial).
Ai Weiwei is of course a high profile case, but there are dozens and dozens of reports of people similarly disappearing, most of them "human rights defender" lawyers.
For example Ai Weiwei was taken away by persons unknown, evidently not police, and some days later we are told by the Foreign Ministry that he is being held in an undisclosed location while being investigated on suspicion of tax evasion and bigamy. One would expect a process of 1. investigation by the procuracy; 2. charges laid; 3. arrest; 4. open trial (as tax evasion and bigamy do not fall into matters of state security that would call for a closed trial).
Ai Weiwei is of course a high profile case, but there are dozens and dozens of reports of people similarly disappearing, most of them "human rights defender" lawyers.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Beijing officials 'laughed off' Australian concerns over human rights | smh.com.au
Confidential briefings provided by Australian diplomats to their American counterparts reveal that Australia's human rights dialogue with China has been characterised by persistent Chinese denials of rights abuses and ''boilerplate'' responses to concerns raised by Australia.
http://m.smh.com.au/national/beijing-officials-laughed-off-australian-concerns-20110426-1dv7a.html
http://m.smh.com.au/national/beijing-officials-laughed-off-australian-concerns-20110426-1dv7a.html
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