[BRIEF NOTE] On an unfortunate unpleasantness in Sino-Canadian relations

[rfmcdonald]

I believe in the stated official Chinese foreign policy doctrine of "China's peaceful rise," stating that China's emergence as a superpower wiill be achieved in the context of active and peaceful collaboration with China's various neighbours and partners because China is living up to this promise. China's transformation is a remarkable achievement that fills me with hope.

That said, this upsets me.

China's most popular politician publicly rebuked Prime Minister Stephen Harper for long ignoring China while Harper privately challenged China's top leaders on their human rights record.

But after discussions that Mr. Harper described as "frank and respectful," the leaders of both countries issued a joint statement that they say heralds "a significant new era" in relations between China and Canada.

[. . .]

"The public rebuke shows that there's work to do on Canada's part," said NDP Leader Jack Layton. "The new tourist designation and the consulate in Montreal are an important gesture by the Chinese, now it's our turn."

Liberal MP Bob Rae, his party's foreign affairs critic, says a tourism deal is long overdue.

"We've paid a price," Rae told reporters outside the House of Commons. "The fact is we've paid a price for four years of not just living on the margins but actually deliberately disregarding china. This was not benign neglect.

"This was a deliberate decision on [Mr. Harper's] part to ignore the relationship and to assert that it had no particular importance for him."

[. . .]

The Chinese government, through the state-controlled media here, ran articles and editorials as Mr. Harper arrived noting with disapproval that, although he was elected in 2006, he had never visited China and was the last G8 leader to do so.

Indeed, that sore spot was Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's starting point for his hour-long meeting with Harper.

"This is your first trip to China and this is the first meeting between the Chinese premier and the Canadian prime minister in almost five years. Five years is too long a time for China-Canada relations and that is why there are comments in the media that your visit is one that should have taken place earlier," said Mr. Wen, who is the country's second most powerful politician after President Hu Jintao.

The premier's words were unusually strong for the man who is considered to be the "nice guy" in the Chinese government and is often referred to as Grandfather Wen.

Both the state-owned media in China, as well as independent media in Canada, had criticized Mr. Harper for waiting until he was nearly four years into his term before visiting Canada's second-largest trading partner after the United States.

I'm happy that China's bolstering its relationship with Canada, and I do think that Harper should have visited China before now, but this was still a decidedly rude and undiplomatic thing to communicate to a country that honestly wants friendly relations. "China's peaceful rise" may be a reality, but actions like this might make non-Chinese discount this reality.