Tuesday, July 01

Canada Day Reception for 110 Chinese guests, including from Ministries, Administrations, Commissions and State Bureaux, the State Council and the National People’s Congress, Chinese companies, Associations and Academics, Local governments and the Chinese media. Eleven Embassy staff were included because of their close associations with the Chinese guests.

A good place to add a representative text of an Ambassador’s Canada Day speech…as proposed by ever-helpful Ottawa.

Well, we all do our best!

Wednesday, July 02

For whatever reason, I have no personal notes on my meetings during the first two weeks of July. So, can only list the schedule and comment on the correspondence.

Meetings:

MFA Vice Minister Zhou Wenzhong. Most likely to discuss forthcoming visits schedules, in both directions.

President Yang Yuanyuan, Civil Aviation Administration of China.

Continuing the promotion of Canadian companies selling aircraft and aviation services.

Lettre adressée au Sous-ministre Michel Dorais, Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada, fournissant un bilan détaillé sur l’impact du SRAS sur le travail de la Section d’Immigration à Pékin.

BT&I CdaGov

Letter to Agriculture and AgriFood Canada Minister Lyle Vanclief, re post-SARS business and visits scheduling.

I thanked the AAFC Minister and his Department for providing additional resources to the Embassy, in order to meet the challenges and opportunities flowing from China’s entry into the WTO. We now had a team of four Officers in Beijing handling agriculture files, with two of the CBS positions funded by his ministry. I encouraged the Minister to come to China in the coming months. China was the largest offshore growth market for Canada’s agriculture, food and fisheries products. We were targeting an increase in exports to Cdn 3$B in five years, from the current billion a year. However, issues had to be dealt with to achieve this target. As an example, China had joined other countries in imposing restrictions related to BSE – Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy for the uninitiate – and Canada needed to work diligently – read politically – to ensure that these restrictions be removed.

A fall visit would also coincide with the twentieth year of CIDA/AAFC involvement in agriculture in China. Indeed, from the outset, agriculture was the cornerstone of CIDA programing in China, with an investment of over $100mm to date, which had helped open significant commercial activity for Canada in areas such as potash, animal genetics and seed sales.

Letter to Natural Resources Canada Minister Herb Dhaliwal.

As with the case of correspondence to other Ministerial colleagues, I wanted to reset the post-SARS travel calendars of Ministers to ensure their continuing engagement in the Canada/China relationship at the highest political levels.

The cancellation of Minister Dhaliwal’s planned visit was another SARS casualty. I thus opened my message to him by confirming that the Qinshan 111 CANDU project was continuing to advance, notably with CANDU #2 achieving full power in a matter of weeks. Premier Wen Jiabao had taken the opportunity of his recent meeting with Minister Graham to signal that his government was receptive to discussing further long-term nuclear cooperation and a technology transfer program. This provided an additional opportunity for follow-up by Minister Dhaliwal. Other ‘files’ important to NatResources included the $5mm plus Canada-China Wood Products Initiative, promoting significant opportunities for the marketing of primary and secondary wood products. Of equal interest to the Minister was in the mining and geomatics industry. There was renewed interest in the mining sector among Canadian companies such as Inco, Noranda, Falconbridge, Alcan and Teck. It was in the Canadian interest to encourage China to develop a stable and transparent mining regulatory environment. And this was not uni-directional: China was beginning to look for minerals and mining investment opportunities abroad. Attracting Chinese investors to Canada would be an issue of growing importance.

Thursday, July 03

Meeting with Staff, preparatory to official visit to Mongolia.

Joined by several Embassy Staff members, hosted luncheon for the Chinese members of Canada China Legislative Association.

CCLA

As I had promised Senator Austin and MP Joe Volpe, I hosted a luncheon for the 8 newly appointed Chinese members of the CCLA, Co-Chaired by Lu Congmin, also in his capacity of Vice Chair of the NPC Foreign Affairs Committee. Four were members of the Foreign Affairs Bureau of the NPC, one each from the Education, Science, Culture and Public Health Committee, the Financial and Economic Committee, and one was the Chinese Vice-Chair.

Meeting with President Bu Binglin, Tsinghua University and Hu Dongcheng, TU’s VP for International Affairs.

Arts

Letter to Jerry Snell of the Snell Thouin Physical Theater Project, noting that I will encourage Canadian firms to support the troupe during its planned world tour of Bone, in collaboration with the Beijing Modern Dance Company.

Letter to Yang Yanyi, Deputy Director General of Policy Planning at the MFA, flagging Minister Graham’s visit, the Canadian contribution of $5mm to China’s Infectious Disease Response Program. As well, I added a copy of the Minister’s speech.

Dinner with Willy Wang, famed South China Morning Post journalist, known to all China Hands, as one of the most astute observers of the PRC.

Friday, 0704

Meeting with Doug Henck, VP, Sunlife.

Lunch with Maurice Strong.

I know that we discussed the DPRK but, again, no notes.

DFAIT

Letter to Minister Bill Graham, following his visit to Beijing in June.

I had followed-up the Minister’s visit by meeting Vice Minister Zhou Wenzhong, to maintain the momentum developed by the Minister’s visit and help prepare the groundwork for the PM’s visit in the fall. Minister Graham’s meeting with Premier Wen Jiabao was a clear signal of the Chinese leadership’s commitment to sustain close relations with Canada, contributing to a dynamic that could lead to his own visit to Canada late in the year. A visit by the Minister’s counterpart, Li Zhaoxing on the margins of the UNGA was also possible. I informed the Minister as well that the Embassy was distributing quite broadly the text of his speech to the Party School, very much as part of our public diplomacy strategy. I added that the Embassy’s CBS and LES were very appreciative of his consideration in taking the time during his heavy program to acknowledge their professionalism and dedication in the face of the SARS crisis.

All in all, it was a great visit thanks to the Minister and accomplished the key objective of all such visits at the leadership level: credibility.

CdaPs&Ms

Letter to Premier Gordon Campbell of BC, expressing congratulations for the province’s success in garnering the 2010 Winter Olympics, and the expectations that they will be as exciting as what is being planned in Beijing in 2008. More to the point, Beijing ’08 would be an unbeatable promotional venue for BC’s Olympics two years later. I noted as well that since the 2003 World Economic Business Summit had been postponed to November, I encouraged him to attend, as part of an ongoing effort to promote in particular two-way investment, educational linkages and tourism. I committed to full cooperation between our missions in China and his government, should he decide on a visit.

Letter to Senator Austin

CCLA

I report to the good Senator that I and Embassy Colleagues hosted some of the new Chinese members of the CCLA. Lu would not be joining his colleague on the visit to Canada as he would be accompanying NPC Chair Wu Bangguo on international travel. Vice-Chair Liu Zhen was both engaging and keen to ensure that the visit to Canada in the fall would be substantive and reflective of Canada’s diverse social fabric. We should interpret this as an opening to include civil society elements in the program. Liu also expressed an interest in learning more about Parliament’s role in supervising government and how it fits in with other controls such as the Auditor-General’s office. I encouraged Jack (or Joe Volpe) to come to Beijing before the full meeting in the autumn, for some early intros, if possible.

(I also added a personal note: my Wife and I had bought a house in West Vancouver!)

GovCda

Letter to Solicitor General Wayne Easter

Another signal on the benefits of political engagement of Cabinet members with their Chinese counterparts. I encouraged the Minister to undertake a visit to Beijing to demonstrate Canada’s strong and continuing support for international policing and security cooperation. I was confident that State Councillor and Minister of Public Security Zhou Yongkang would welcome such a visit. From the Canadian perspective, explaining to the MPS Minister how national security policies contribute to the safety of Canadians at home and abroad would be instructive. It would also provide an opportunity to pass on the message of the importance of balancing respect for basic human rights with security concerns.

Coffee with the famed Johnny Chang, dancer extraordinaire with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, touring China.

BT&I  Education CdaPs&Ms

Letter to Alberta Premier Ralph Klein who, due to SARS, had cancelled a June visit to China. I wrote to encourage him to reschedule the visit, and as soon as possible, given the opportunities to promote Alberta/China trade in agricultural products, as well as in the education sector. Outstanding was the need for a renewal of an agreement between the Alberta Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and its Chinese counterpart aimed at promoting food safety. A visit would provide an opportunity to help Alberta beef exporters and tackle remaining doubts the Chinese regulators may have about the Canadian system. Another sector of growing importance and potential was in education. A new MoU was ready for signature between the Chinese Ministry of Education and Alberta Learning. Similarly, an agreement between the China National Petroleum Corporation and the Government of Alberta was ready for signing. I pointed to the Petroleum Training Center as an example of successful cooperation and visibility for Alberta.

By the way, when I called on Premier Klein in 2004, he told me that I was his ‘favorite ambassador’! But then coincidentally, I met a HoM colleague, also visiting Edmonton, who said that the Premier had told him that he had the ‘favorite ambassador’ title!

Sic transit and all of that.  

ChinaPs&Ms CIDA

Saturday, July 05 – Friday, July 11

Outreach in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

This was largely an opportunity to visit CIDA economic development projects, amongst the obligatory meetings and banquets with local officialdom. Among the projects visited:

• Sustainable Agricultural Development Project, with focus on rotational herding and forage seeding experimental training; a herders’ hut and local development project site; the Wulannuo’re wetlands and a dairy project nearby; the Biodiversity Protection and Community Development Office; Yili Dairy Village; a local Vocational/Technical College; the IMAR Agricultural University, including the Animal Husbandry Department.

• There was also the official stuff – dinner with the IMAR Governor and Party Secretary, as well as the Deputy Governor; tour Manzhouli City, including the City Market, near the border with Russia; followed by dinner hosted by the Hulun Buir Municipal Government; a short visit to the Hohhot Museum.

Canada sought to achieve a number of objectives through CIDA’s collaboration with a wide variety of institutions, such as in Inner Mongolia. China may not have met our development assistance objectives on the political or HR front, but there is no question that technical cooperation had a very significant impact on the economic development of many areas of China, Inner Mongolia being a good example. If not always appreciated among China’s leaders today, our contributions advanced China’s technical skills in an important number of areas – cattle breeding, modernization of the dairy sector, forestry and so forth, and that from the ground up.

Friday, July 11

Letter of congratulations to Finance Vice-Minister Jin Liqun on his appointment as Vice-President of the Asian Development Bank.

CCRels CCLA

Letter to Senate Speaker Dan Hays following up the dinner at the Residence for the Chinese members of the CCLA. On that occasion, my guests passed on that they recalled with pleasure the Senator’s visit in 2001 and would welcome another visit.

I took the opportunity of this letter to provide Senator Hays an update on some of the political changes arising from the 16^th Party Congress: Wu Banguo as Chair of NPC, Jia Qinglin Wu’s counterpart at the NPPCC, and recommend a visit in November, with a focus on CIDA programming in the interior provinces of Yunnan, Inner Mongolia, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. CIDA is developing a project with the local Peoples’ Congresses to promote public consultation, approaches to drafting legislation and other elements of good governance.

Education

Letter to Sherman Jen, Dalian Maple Leaf International School, Dalian.

Congratulated Sherman for the announced opening of its fourth school since the launch of the first, 8 years previously. Definitely – as I wrote him – a success story of Sino-Canadian collaboration.

Monday, July 14

MAM

There was now confidence that the worst of SARS was over, and that life and work would return to normal. Much of this MAM discussion was on the subject of the Fall visits schedules, both incoming and outgoing. Shanghai reported that they were fully back to business. On the other hand, Immigration noted that there was no sign of an uptick on the Visas to Canada front.

BT&I  ChinaGov

Introductory call on China’s new Minister of Commerce, Lu Fuyuan.

A graduate of Jilin University in physics, with post-grad studies at l’Université de Montréal, I looked forward to developing a close relationship with the Minister. Earlier in the year, China’s MOFTEC – the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation – had been reorganized and renamed the Ministry of Commerce, with Lu appointed as its first minister. Following the usual ‘politesse’ at such meetings, enhanced by the Canadian connections, I congratulated the Minister on his appointment, and went down the list of current C/C commercial relations and Canada’s trade aspirations in aircraft and ground transportation, energy/CANDU, communications technologies, design, engineering and construction, and so forth. We also discussed an upcoming WTO Ministerial to be hosted by Canada. I suggested to the Minister that he consider visiting Canadian firms in Canada following the ministerial.  Regrettably – at both the human level and with regard to the potential for collaboration – Minister Lu was forced to resign in early 2004, due to succumbing to cancer. He died that spring.

Meeting with Chris Johnstone, ‘Our Man in Mongolia’ on mining developments there.

Media

Lunch with David Hsieh, The Strait Times.

Various meetings with Staff.

ChinaEc

Letter to Mao Yushi, Chairman, Unirule Institute of Economics.

I am repeating myself to some extent but, reiterate that Mao was one of the most impressive intellectuals and activists that I met while in China. A noted economist in his own rite, being ‘President of the Humanism Economics Society’ tells you of his commitment to classical liberalism and free-market economics.

Having been asked by the Center for International Governance Innovation – CIGI –  at Waterloo to recommend an independent Chinese scholar who would be willing to sit on CIGI’s International Board of Governors, I immediately considered Mao – fluent in English among many skill-sets – so I visited him (or called him – I can’t recall), and outlined CIGI’s outstanding role as one of Canada’s most respected think-tanks. As it happened, Mao turned down the offer, citing his age (!) and given his already charged schedule.

Ever the activist, and thus ever hounded by the CCP, Mao moved to Canada in January 2024 at the age of 94…

A few days later, I approached Director Yu Yongding of the Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences on behalf of CIGI. Don’t know the outcome.

BT&I ChinaPs&Cs

Letter to Shenyang Mayor Chen Zhenggao. This followed a discuss I had had with the Mayor during my visit the previous December. I had at the time promoted the choice of the Richway Environmental Co. bid for the city’s garbage disposal contract. I had now learned that Richway was awarded the contract earlier in the year. ‘This indeed is good news as the project will be highly beneficial to the Shenyang Municipal Government and Shenyang’s citizens, and will further demonstrate the cooperative nature of the Canada-Shenyang relationship.’

Tuesday, July 15

Succession of meetings with Program Managers for updates on their principal issues of concern.

BT&I

Discussion with Consul General Rob Mackenzie in Shanghai regarding the forthcoming visit of Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew. The focus of his visit will include: aerospace, building products and construction codes, education, ICT and tourism.

BT&I  CdaGov

Letter to Industry Minister Allan Rock

I informed the Minister that China’s Minister of Commerce, Lu Fuyuan, would be attending a WTO ministerial in Montreal in late July and would extend his stay in Canada, including Ottawa – where he would meet with Minister Pettigrew – as well as Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. Minister Lu had informed us that he wished to meet with Minister Rock as well. I encouraged him to meet with Lu, given the breadth of our economic relationship: continued nuclear cooperation with AECL, specifically to realize the construction of two additional reactors, support for Bombardier’s regional jet marketing efforts in China, with particular attention to the need to accord BBD national treatment for the sale of aircraft in China, the need to accord Canada Approved Destination Status to improve the marketing of Canadian tourism to Chinese travellers and so forth. Discussions with Lu would prepare the ground-work for the PM’s anticipated visit to China.

I reminded the Minister of Lu’s important Canadian connection: spending two years in Montréal as a graduate student at l’École Polytechnique.

Wednesday, July 16

We are very much in the Foreign Service posting season, with CBS leaving and their successors arriving, so that many of my meetings these days are to thank departing Officers who have contributed so much to the success of the enterprise, and to welcome others who will find their way to utilize their skills to advance our national objectives in the PRC.

This is part of life for FSOs. It comes with tribulations for some – children find it difficult to leave friends behind. For adults – Officers and Spouses – it’s always a mix of sadness at leaving friends, colleagues and memories, with anticipation and even the excitement of the next posting, either abroad or back at Headquarters. For the professionally ambitious, seeking to rise on the bureaucratic ladder, it’s the opportunity to prove one’s merit and potential at another, usually higher professional ranking. For those who thrive on geographic or thematic specialization, it’s a degree of confidence in the likelihood that ‘I shall return’.

HRRoL ChinaDom CCP

Meeting with Li Fan, World and China Research Institute.

An honour and a pleasure to meet Li Fan, the founder of his institute and an astute and articulate promoter and defender of electoral reform, with some success, at the very local, township levels, initially in Sichuan. Graduate of Beida and Ohio State University, he promoted democratic principles based on China’s domestic laws. Chasing down Li Fan using today’s search tools, it is not clear if he is still active or indeed still living. A clear and concise – if dated – articulation of Li Fan’s thoughts on democratic institutions in China early in the century is available below:

https://www.chinafile.com/reporting-opinion/viewpoint/its-true-democracy-china-retreat-dont-give-it-now

That said, it must be added that, then as now, election campaigns were not permitted under China’s Election Law. Nomination of candidates was strictly controlled and managed by the election committees at various levels. In most cases, voters barely knew anything about the candidates except their faces and basic biographical information. Still, so-called ‘independent’ candidates had changed the dynamics through self-promotion and active campaigning. They put out campaign posters at polling stations. They wrote and distributed letters detailing their commitments to the constituents. During my years in Beijing, there were populist stirrings at local levels. The election committees only very rarely added the name of a self-appointed on the ballot. Even more rarely – just north of zero – would such a candidate win. Still, people were free to hope, and Li Fan found ways to encourage a modest degree of optimism for the future. From the perspective of 2025, that future is still awaited.   

Media

Met journalists to discuss Canada’s interest and commitment to the Beijing Olympics.

BT&I

Meeting with Hing Mung, President of Alcan.

Meeting with General Manager Yu Fei, Huihuang Business Advertising Company.

Thursday, July 17

BT&I

Meeting with recently appointed Chairman Wan Jifei of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

Established in the early ‘50s, the CCPIT was tasked by the CCP to be the national, non-governmental vehicle to create and promote linkages with the international business communities through trade fairs, creating international business advisory groups that provided access to Government leaders, sponsoring venues to discuss trade policy issues and so forth. With offices in Qingdao, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Shenyang, it had national reach. A bit like an activist and well-connected Chamber of Commerce, but clearly led by government and not businesses. It was one of China’s go-to institutions for making business connections throughout China.

I was pleased to meet Chairman Wan Jifei, as it maintained a connection which I had already established with his predecessor, Yu Xiaoxong. My colleagues and I at the Embassy and our Consulates would continue to look to CCPIT for advice and support. And as we moved into a post-SARS world, we would be seeking their assistance in organizing visits and events. We were expecting a PM visit in the fall, with the engagement of the Canada China Business Council. This was of course grist-for-the CCPIT mill, and we could be assured of their cooperation in promoting our events.

Hosted a lunch for visiting former Ambassador Earl Drake, author of A Stubble-Jumper in Striped Pants, mentioned in the Introductory essay, along with members of the staff. The title alone tells you much about this remarkable individual and highly experienced Canadian diplomat. We also had a private breakfast meeting on Sunday.

ChinaMFA

Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing hosts a dinner for Ambassadors and other guests at the Diaoyutai State Guest House which, by the way, has an interesting history, worth looking up…like just about everywhere else in China.

Thursday, July 18

Good part of the day meeting the Changing of the Guard, both departing and arriving, among the Canada Based Staff members and their Spouses.

ChinaPs&Cs

Letter to Mr. Bu Ren, Party Secretary, Erwenki Autonomous Banner Committee, Bayatuohai Town, Hurlun Buir City, Inner Mongolia. I had met PS Bu Ren during my visit to his City. He invited me to take part in celebrations to mark the 45^th anniversary of the Banner. Regrettably, scheduling conflicts did not allow me to attend the event. I have no doubt that it would have been of great interest.

One life is not enough.

Farewell dinner for the Sri Lankan Ambassador hosted by the Ambassador of Finland…indicating that Diplomats sometimes play to the stereotypes.

Monday, July 21

MAM

Focused on planning for the upcoming visits, some still not confirmed: PM Chrétien, Trade Minister Pettigrew, Environment Minister Anderson and the House Standing Committee of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

MinCor

Letter to DFAIT Minister Bill Graham

During the Minister’s visit, I had had the opportunity – between events and meetings – to discuss a number of issues with Mr. Graham. Among other things, I had said that, viewed from Beijing, a major weakness of Canadian FP was the paucity of resources devoted to public diplomacy. He encouraged me to write and send my thoughts on the issue. This I did, but only after reading the conclusions of the ‘Dialogue on Foreign Policy: Report to Canadians 2003’. That text indeed also argued for a strong Departmental commitment to Public Diplomacy. The ideas were out there, but was needed was political commitment translated into budgets.

The Honourable Bill Graham
Minister
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0G5

Dear Minister,

            You may recall that in one of our conversations during your recent visit to Beijing, I mentioned that, viewed from Beijing, a major weakness of Canadian foreign policy is the paucity of resources devoted to public diplomacy. You asked me to write to you to explain my thought on the matter.

            I did not wish to do so until I had read and considered the Department’s recent Foreign Policy Dialogue report. Having now done so, I am pleased to see that, in fact, a great deal of attention is given to the theme of public diplomacy, particularly in the final sections of the report: Promoting our Culture and International Education; Making Canada Better Known to the World; and Strengthening Canada’s International Voice. These paragraphs, in economic and effective terms, clearly state the problématique. Little will be added by my reflecting on the same questions.

            You may find it useful, however, to consider what Canadian public diplomacy can mean in a country the size of China.

            Public diplomacy in China means increasing both our influence and our visibility. China is a global presence. It has a global economy. It has a population of almost 1.3 billion. Clearly, only a very small number of these people make choices, professional and personal, that matter to us, but many of these decisions can be very significant indeed. Thus, simply put, the purpose of public diplomacy is two-fold:

            First, it serves to enhance our influence by identifying key players whose decisions affect favorably, or perhaps unfavorably, Canadian interests; and on an ongoing basis providing these people with information on Canada, and their stake in a mutually beneficial Canada-China relationship.

            Second, it seeks to heighten our visibility among substantial urban subsets of the 100 million plus Chinese middle class who make daily choices, some affecting Canada’s interests: what they buy as commercial or individual consumers; where they travel as tourists; where they send their kids to school and university; and indeed, where they emigrate. Public diplomacy seeks to make Canada the country of choice when they decide to bring globalization to their companies, to their institutions or to themselves and their families.

            If, as a number of years ago, the saying went “My country includes Québec”, the challenge to us in China is to create, among these Chinese, the sense that “My world includes Canada”. But while most Chinese have a generally favorable view of Canada, that image lacks focus and detail. At the same time, the value of many of our historical political assets are depreciating and must be constantly renewed, as you have recently done.

            Clearly we have to work both harder and smarter. We have a number of tools to pursue these objectives, some in place, some in development stages. These include: the care and preferential treatment of a “Canada 100” group of senior contacts whose decisions impact on Canadian interests; a significant increase of our public relations capabilities, now in place; the expansion of our cultural diplomacy to connect Canadian and Chinese artists, arts groups and the cultural industries; a revamping of our academic relations programs etc, all with the objective of substantially strengthening Canada’s influence/visibility in China.

            These initiatives will only partly address the challenge we face, however. I think it is time for a focused internal discussion on the new public diplomacy tools, approaches and resources that are required to project Canada abroad in today’s world. This is a global challenge and it requires a global response, through concerted, long term and unabashedly Canadian P.R., greatly enhanced cultural diplomacy, lobbying tools worthy of the name, and the resolve to tell our story to a potentially interested world, so that the “acceuil” that our diplomatic initiatives deserve – be they those of public or private interests – is met by a willing audience.

            I hope that these ideas are useful to you as you assess foreign policy directions for Canada and how we can best ensure that our priorities can be realized on the international stage.

Cordially

Joseph Caron

Arts&Culture   ChinaPs&Ms  BT&I

Letter to Beijing Acting Mayor Wang Qishan

The letter’s purpose was to seek an opportunity to discuss the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition Center project. Canada’s IMAX representative would be travelling to Beijing and sought an opportunity to exchange views with the Mayor to discuss the possibility of building an IMAX theater within the Automotive Museum. I pointed to the fact that the China Film Museum Project had already selected IMAX for its theater.

I don’t believe that this project was realized but I note that as of this writing – over 20 years later – Imax is used in over 800 theaters in China.

BT&I  ChinaGov

Letter to Minister of Commerce Lu Fuyuan

China was in the process of developing its own family of commercial aircraft

My comments promoted the interests and products of Thales Avionics and Messier Dowty (landing gear systems) in the development of China’s ARJ21 regional jet. At the time, still a project in development. It would be certified a decade later.

BT&I

Teleconference with CCBC’s CEO Howard Balloch and Toronto staff to develop detailed plans for the fall CCBC annual meeting in Beijing, timed with the anticipated visit of PM Chrétien.

CdaGov

Meeting with Colonel Burke to discuss visit of National Defence Minister John McCallum.

BT&I

Letter to the Minister of General Administration of Civil Aviation Yang YuanYuan.

This followed up on a meeting with the Minister on July 2. I had mentioned during our meeting and reiterated in the letter Canada’s interest in the ARJ21 regional jet program. I flagged my letter to Commerce Minister Lu Fuyuan on the same matter, focusing on the interests of Messier Dowty and Thales Avionics. I added reference to my letter to the Minister of Foreign Trade, raising the vexatious issue of the Value-Added Tax on imported regional aircraft. It was our view that it was unduly restrictive and not consistent with China’s obligations and commitments under the WTO, as it accorded preferential treatment to domestic manufacturers, and thus a violation of the National Treatment and Most Favored Nation principles. I requested a response on this issue, given its importance in the C/C trade relationship. 

I addressed similar letters to Zhang Yunchuan, the Chairman of the Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, Chairman Ma Kai of the National Development and Reform Commission, President Tang Xiaoping, AVIC 1 Commercial Aircraft Company and President Liu Gaozhuo, China Aviation Industry Corporation.

BT&I

Meeting with Chairman Zhu Xun, China Mining Association.

I welcomed Chairman Zhu’s visit to the Embassy, a courtesy that flagged the CMA as interested in the existing and future contributions of Canadian mining companies in the PRC. This was of course a two-way relationship: Chinese imports of Canadian mineral products were significant, notably potash. The global reputation of the Canadian mining sector was then, as it is now, significant. Both actual and potential C/C relations in the sector were givens. The Chairman took a moment to express appreciation for the work of Canadian Embassy Staff in this sector. He also expressed satisfaction with CMA’s relationship with the Canadian Mining Association. The CMA wishes to see more Canadian companies active in Chinese mining.

This exchange was a necessary formality, as both countries wanted to see ever increasing trade and investment in each other’s sectors. This would take time to reach fruition: Chinese and Canadian practices on, say, geographic and geological maps, were markedly different: maps that could be purchased in any reputable map store in Canada, could be treated as highly classified in China. Indeed, the rules governing classification of metals and minerals differed markedly between Canada and China. Some mining sectors – gold comes to mind – were highly protected in China. My meeting and the conversation with Chairman Zhu may appear platitudinous to readers, but it served to keep the channels open to positive collaboration between the Canadian and Chinese mining industries, but also provided a place to go when problems appeared. Both countries valued that.

Later in the day, off to Shanghai….and a briefing session over dinner with our Consulate management staff.

Wednesday, July 23

Shanghai

BT&I

Meeting with VP John Cheh, Bombardier International, followed by a visit to the Bombardier Transportation Metro Service Centre, to see the interface between the customer – Shanghai Metro – and the services provider, BBD Transportation.

BT&I

Meeting with President Li Fenghua, China Eastern Airlines Group.  

Discussions between BBD and China Eastern were ongoing. Aircraft types were at the center of discussions but other considerations which determined the viability of any and all airlines and their providers included issues such as airport fees, VAT treatment of goods and services and so on. Still, deals were made, planes were sold and the business outcomes positive. Shandong Airlines served as an example of successful integration of BBD aircraft.

Luncheon meeting with Civil Aviation Administration of China Director General Xia Xinhua.

Regrettably, I don’t have notes on this meeting. The Embassy’s relationship with the CAAC in Beijing and the Consulates’ contacts in Shanghai and Guangzhou provided information and support to a large number of Canadian firms – Bombardier aircraft of course, but also a variety of service providers to Chinese airlines and to China burgeoning and ultra-modern airports.

ChinaPs&Ms

Meeting with Mayor of Shanghai Han Zheng.

I congratulated Mayor Han on his appointment by the CCP to the most important municipal post in China. (Actually, the CCP Party Secretary wields more authority.) I had had opportunities to meet his predecessor, Xu Kuangdi, and hoped to maintain the same level of contact. Canadian interest and activities in Shanghai and surrounding area were growing and broadening, not only business – transportation sector notably – and investment but also pre-university and university level ties, the arts both fine and popular, thanks in part to the Shanghai International Festival of the Arts.

The Prime Minister was scheduled to visit China in the fall and would certainly make his way to Qinshan’s AECL power plants.  

That evening I hosted a large reception with the East China Canadian Business Community.

Thursday, July 24

Education

Meeting with President Dai Weidong, Shanghai International Studies University, followed by a separate meeting and lunch with President Su Mingzhi, Dong Hua University. Both of the meetings focused on multiplying both academic and student/student exchange programs with Canadian university counterparts.

BT&I

Meeting with Chairman Zhou Chi and President Fan Hongxi of Shanghai airlines, with the same type of pitch I delivered earlier with China Easter’s President.

Visit to Artists Links/Artis Residency, followed by interview with Shanghai Education TV. And that followed by a Reception with the Shanghai Canadian Alumni Network.

Friday, July 25

ChinaPs&Ms

Travel to Suzhou, to visit the Suzhou Singapore Industrial Park that had become one model – there were others – for industrial parks in China. While there, I visited the Messier Dowty factory, guided by Xu Ziming, the General Manager, as well as Celestica’s facilities.

Then, off for lunch with Suzhou Mayor Yang Weize, followed by media interviews with Suzhou TV and, separately, the Suzhou Daily paper.

Following this busy schedule, I returned to Shanghai for the flight to Beijing…and dinner with German Ambassador Doris Trettner-Broudré-Groger….

…and on Sunday the 27th, with my Family, off to Bangkok for a holiday, whether deserved or not I leave it to others to judge.