EDITORIAL - Panda-ring to Chinese interests

Just in case you thought times have changed, China was one of the countries vetoing a UN resolution calling for Syrian President Bashar Assad’s resignation in hopes that the bloodshed that has so far claimed thousands of innocent lives will stop.

While the rest of the world sees the evil in the civil unrest in Syria Russia and China had political interests to protect by propping up the existing regime. So while the Conservative Harper government publicly expressed its disappointment at the veto Chinas national news agency commenting on the improving relations with Canada expressed the caveat that for such ties to go forward a core precondition is that the two sides have to always treat each other with respect, accommodating each country’s core interest while appropriately treating sensitive issues dare we say like human rights for example. In other words Prime Minister Harper pleases no human rights issues on this business trip agenda.

In a world where China has emerged as an economic powerhouse the playing field is no longer level. In order for countries like Canada to grow economically they have to do business with China. China has now become the world’s number one resource consumer and Canada has a vested interest to share its resource wealth with our Asian market friends. While many an entrepreneur will tell you that doing business with the Chinese is like signing a deal with the devil, what with the infamous reverse engineering that occurs with technological advancements and the total disrespect of international patents and licenses, no access to the Chinese market is perceived as the greater evil.

So while the Chinese have put on a good face for the Harper government in recent times by officially granting Canada approved destination status allowing for freer tourism between the countries as well as having invested $10 billion in Canadian oil sands the Prime Minister will achieve little on pertinent issues like human rights abuse, child employment and the Chinese disregard for international manufacturing safety standards forbidding metals like lead in children’s toys. Needless to say attempts to secure bilateral agreements protecting foreign investment in China from fraudulent accounting and misleading business practices like that which occurred with the pulp and paper giant Sino China will not bear fruit this time around.
So in a world teetering on the brink of a global depression the evil but necessary economic business of the day for Harper is to secure greater access to the ever growing Asian market for Canada’s products and businesses. The bolstering of these economic ties will hopefully provide future employment for many hungering Canadians. So while the Canadian government temporarily turns a blind eye to many sensitive Chinese global issues Harper it seems will be rewarded by the Chinese for his discretion by achieving something that no other Canadian prime minister has managed in Canada China relations. Harper is expected to accept two giant pandas which will be lent to Canadian zoos. This gives new meaning to panda-ring to Chinese interests.