Notice Board

The Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA) presents a session discussing Canada-China relations in the wake of a number of diplomatic moves over the past two years.

Canada – China Relations: Can this Relationship be Saved?

Thursday, Nov 26, 2020 at 10 a.m. MST
YouTube Live link:     https://youtu.be/xwEmkpBuszU   

For nearly two years, since the December, 2018 detention of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou and the subsequent arrest of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, Canada-China relations have been at their lowest point since the 1989 Tiananmen violence — and perhaps since Canada recognized the People’s Republic of China (PRC) 50 years ago.

What are the prospects for a reduction in tensions in 2021? What are the chances the “two Michaels” will be released soon? How will the election of President Biden affect U.S.-China relations? Will the U.S. election affect the tenor of the Ottawa-Beijing relationship?

Canada-China trade has remained relatively stable through the diplomatic crisis, although Canadian exports of canola to China have been targeted by China. Is it possible we will see a resumption of normal agricultural exports to China soon?

Speaker:                   Dr. Gordon Houlden

Gordon Houlden is the director of the China Institute, professor of political science and adjunct professor of the Alberta School of Business at the University of Alberta.

Houlden joined the Canadian Foreign Service in 1976, serving in Ottawa and abroad. Twenty-two of his years in the Canadian Foreign Service were spent working on Chinese economic, trade and political affairs for the Government of Canada including five postings in China. He also served at the Canadian Embassies in Havana and Warsaw, and at Canada National Defence College. His last assignment before joining U Alberta in 2008 was as director general of the East Asian Bureau of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, responsible for Greater China, Japan, the Koreas and Mongolia.

Under Houlden’s leadership, the China Institute has focused on contemporary China studies, with an emphasis on Canada’s trade, investment and energy linkages with the PRC, and Asian security issues.

In order to ask questions of our speaker in the chat feature of YouTube, you must have a YouTube account and be signed in. Please do so well ahead of the scheduled start time, so you’ll be ready. Go the YouTube Live link provided in this session flyer and on the top right of your browser click the “sign in” button. If you have Google or Gmail accounts, they can be used to sign in. If you don’t, click “Create Account” and follow along. Once you are signed in, you can return to the live stream and use the chat feature to ask your questions of the speaker. Remember, you can only participate in the chat feature while we are livestreaming.

Link to SACPA’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFUQ5mUHv1gfmMFVr8d9dNA

SACPA is proud to present this session as part of the Gordon Campbell Memorial Speaker Series.

For further information on the Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs, visit the SACPA website.