That was quite a sight this week – the prime minister of Canada, shoes shined, suit pressed, waiting on a tarmac in the spring chill for the arrival of a pair of … bears. No ordinary bears, of course; these two are pandas, a gift from the government of China, on loan to Canada for a decade, five years in Toronto followed by five years in Calgary.
This was an important moment for Stephen Harper. Canada first requested a loan of pandas from China in 1973. Forty years on, under Harper’s watch, they arrived, and from all available evidence he was a happy man. Canadians have reason to be happy too, for what we witnessed on that tarmac in Toronto was a wiser, more mature Harper whose reconciliation with China better serves the national interest than his posturing of only a few years ago.
As leader of the Opposition and then as prime minister, Harper basically viewed China as a godless totalitarian state that abused its people and required a healthy dose of idealism that Canada would be only too glad to provide. Thus, the Harper government bestowed honorary citizenship on the Dalai Lama and famously stayed away from the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. And what did that get him (and us)? A scolding from then Chinese premier Wen Jiabao who didn’t take kindly to public shaming and finger-wagging from a global lightweight like Canada.
But as Ralph Klein liked to say, that was then, this is now. When the pandas arrived in Toronto, Harper hailed their arrival as a symbol of goodwill and improved relations.
“These pandas will help us learn more about one another while serving as a reminder of our deepening relationship, a relationship based on mutual respect and growing collaboration,” he said, the Chinese ambassador at his side.
Canada has reason to be wary of China. Its human rights record is indeed lamentable. Its record on industrial espionage is alarming. But what’s important here – and what our prime minister has learned – is that China-bashing is a losing proposition, particularly for a country in search of foreign investment and markets for its commodities. Canada’s interests and values are best served through the promotion of trade, the advancement of international norms and agreements and a measured diplomacy that serves both short- and long-term interests.
Canada is still groping for a coherent approach to China. Late last year, the Harper government approved the purchase of Nexen by the Chinese National Overseas Oil Corp., but in the same breath banned further sales of oilsands operations to state-owned companies except in “exceptional circumstances.” In other words, ‘this one is OK but we won’t do it any more unless we change our minds.’ A fudge like that is worthy of Mackenzie King.
So, yes, Canada’s policy on China is a work in progress, but overall Stephen Harper has got it right. His change of tack on the Middle Kingdom demonstrates maturity and foresight, and we join him in wishing pandas Er Shun and Da Mao a happy stay in Canada.
