Clear-sighted China view urged for Canada
Canada should reconsider its approach toward China because while it is reaping the benefits of trade with Asia's biggest economy, it allows its deference to the United States to undermine the relationship, according to an international affairs expert.
"So, on one hand, we have an empirical reality that suggests that we have a workable, functional, economic relationship with China," said David Carment, a professor at Carleton University's Norman Paterson School of International Affairs. "On the other hand, we have a security agenda that's suggested (that) under no circumstances should we not only not trust China, we shouldn't even be working with them; we should be de-linking from their economy; we should treat them as a security threat.
"We cannot rely solely on experts who clearly have hidden agendas. The best bet for Canada is to hedge their bets (and) play both sides," said Carment, who spoke at a recent webinar on Canada-China relations held by the Institute for Peace& Diplomacy.