Charles Burton's Blog

My Interview on Sun TV about BC NDP Candidate Frank Huang

2013-05-08T19:24:00.002-04:00

I was interviewed by Ezra Levant for the Sun News program "The Source" on May 8, 2013 about the NDP candidacy in BC of Frank Huang who has been alleged to have ongoing connections with the Chinese Communist Party.

My response to Paul Evans on Canada's China policy published in May issue of Literary Review of Canada

2013-05-08T11:14:00.003-04:00

In the April issue of In April Issue of the Literary Review of Canada, Paul Evans published an article on Canada's China policy: http://reviewcanada.ca/essays/2013/04/01/dancing-with-the-dragon/

The editor of this publication, Bronwyn Drainie, asked me to write a response which was published in an edited version in the May issue. Here is that text (it is not otherwise available on-line insofar as I am aware).

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Re: "Dancing with the Dragon" by Paul Evans (April 2013)

Evans suggests that in Canada "debate has been obsessed with a distinction between pursuing commercial and diplomatic opportunities with China versus promoting human rights . . . our domestic debate still rotates around whether we should be having economic relations with a country run by a Communist Party." Evans further hypothesizes that Canada has adopted a policy stance of "cool politics, warm economics" toward the PRC.

But his assertions do not stand up to scrutiny. Over the years Canada has adopted a highly consistent approach to relations with China. It is the same one articulated by our 1995 foreign policy statement "Canada and the World" based on "three pillars of diplomacy": the promotion of prosperity and employment; the protection of our security, within a stable global framework; and the projection of Canadian values and culture.

As to the first pillar, Canada wants fair and reciprocal trading agreements with China. We welcome Chinese investment, but as the Prime Minister made clear in his 2012 press conference announcing Government approval of CNOOC's acquisition of Nexen, Canada will not allow the Chinese state to gain control of Canadian economic resources through full acquisition of Canadian resource companies by Chinese state firms. But we do welcome Chinese state firms to invest in them as minority share holders.

As to the security aspect, Canada will continue to investigate Chinese state espionage in its economic, political and military aspects including cyber-espionage in Canada and to work in multi-lateral fora to encourage the Chinese regime to follow the norms of responsible global citizenship.

Finally with regard to the third pillar as the 1995 statement puts it: "Canada is not an island: if the rights of people abroad are not protected, Canadians will ultimately feel the effects at home. They understand that our economic and security interests are served by the widest possible respect for the environment, human rights, participatory government, free markets and the rule of law. Where these are observed, there is a greater prospect of stability and prosperity . . . Their observance, therefore, is both an end in itself and a means to achieving other priority objectives."

There is a strong cross-partisan consensus on how Canada should manage relations with the PRC. After all, even the Dalai Lama's honorary Canadian citizenship was achieved through a unanimous resolution of Parliament.

Evans' attempts to politicize Canada's China policy just doesn't conform with the facts.

Charles Burton

Brock University

Yahoo closing all China e-mail services

2013-04-18T07:45:00.001-04:00

http://english.sina.com/china/2013/0418/583165.html

University shuts down Dalai Lama visit - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

2013-04-18T05:45:00.001-04:00

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-04-17/university-shuts-down-dalai-lama-visit/4635906?section=nsw

This video is very much worth watching to the end.

My interview on China and Korea on Wednesday WABC John Batchelor Show

2013-04-11T08:07:00.001-04:00

http://johnbatchelorshow.com/podcasts/2013/04/10/first-hour

Further Delay in Trial of Suspect in Death of Miss Liu Qian

2013-03-30T10:10:00.000-04:00

In April 2011 the daughter of my friend and colleague, Liu Jianhui of the Central Party School in Beijing died in Toronto. Liu Qian was 23, a student at York University. Shortly thereafter, Brian Dickson was arrested for the murder of Miss Liu. Dickson remains imprisoned. A lengthy preliminary hearing was held in February 2012. The full trial was subsequently scheduled to begin on April 2, 2013.

Now I have learnt that the suspect's lawyer successfully achieved a delay in the start of the trial by getting a judge to agree to having mental health assessment of the accused done prior to the trial being held. This development occurred last Thursday, March 28, the day before the Good Friday/Easter holiday. It appears that the trial of Brian Dickson will likely be re-scheduled to begin at the end of this year and go over into 2014. That certainly is some long time after the young woman died in the spring of 2011. Her parents and all of us would like to see closure to the tragedy of the death of this only child of such a good and fine family. So now we have to wait even longer.

Can anyone explain to me what it going on here? Is it simply the proclivity of Canadian defence lawyers to seek to delay and delay? What sort of defence strategy could be behind this? I would certainly welcome any information from anyone reading this blog post.

In the meantime I feel a very deep sense of unease about all of this.

My Op-Ed in Globe and Mail today "China’s Communists find Marxism"

2013-03-06T06:33:00.003-05:00

My op-ed in the Globe and Mail March 6, 2013: "a fading caretaker regime that has more past than future, unable to stop increasing numbers of citizens from realizing the complete disconnect between the Party’s official ideology, the reality of Chinese politics today and the social values of Chinese young people."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/commentary/chinas-communists-find-marxism/article9317530/

140 Nobel laureates urge China to release Liu Xiaobo - www.ddinews.com

2013-02-27T08:34:00.000-05:00

http://www.ddinews.gov.in/International/International+-+Other+Stories/Nobel+laureates+urge+China+to+release+Liu+Xiaobo.htm

And the report says 4,000,000 people from more than 130 countries signed an accompanying petition.

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Video showing PLA Chinese Cyber-hackers at work

2013-02-19T13:39:00.002-05:00

Colloque: «La Chine et le Monde après le XVIIIe Congrès du PCC»

2013-02-19T08:23:00.001-05:00

Colloque: «La Chine et le Monde après le XVIIIe Congrès du PCC»

I am speaking at the event Feb 21-2 in Montreal

PLA Cyber-Unit Has Hacked Into Canadian Pipeline Switches

2013-02-19T03:29:00.000-05:00

China's Army Is Seen as Tied to Hacking Against U.S.
http://nyti.ms/XZRMHn

Comment: Question is how long can we blithely accept Chinese MFA denials that the Government of the PRC does not engage in computer hacking against critical Canadian systems?

BBC News - China military unit 'behind prolific hacking' - http://goo.gl/KXOmY via @Shareaholic

Full-text of the Mandant Report: http://intelreport.mandiant.com/Mandiant_APT1_Report.pdf

China Fraud Accusations: Wesley Clark's Ex-Firm Faces Questions - ABC News

2013-01-24T09:01:00.000-05:00

China Fraud Accusations: Wesley Clark's Ex-Firm Faces Questions - ABC News

"Now the China deals Clark helped promote at lavish parties are among those facing scrutiny from the Securities and Exchange Commission as they try and account for the billions of dollars lost in dozens of suspicious stock offerings, which some officials believe represent collectively one of the largest financial scams since Bernie Madoff. Authorities told ABC News that firms serving as middle men who helped promote the Chinese companies are now in the crosshairs."

Link: http://abcnews.go.com/story?id=18292965

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Companies in China are mislabeling domestically made food products as halal imports from Islamic nations

2013-01-18T22:46:00.003-05:00

I find this report by Rukiye Turdush really very disturbing.

"Companies in China are mislabeling domestically made food products as halal imports from Islamic nations"
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/halal-01182013161229.html

Foreign Policy Article by U.S. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher on Chinese Media in the USA

2013-01-09T10:55:00.001-05:00

I recommend this article about Chinese media in the USA most highly:
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/01/08/under_cover?fb_action_ids=521737284525368&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%7B%22521737284525368%22%3A370408879721071%7D&action_type_map=%7B%22521737284525368%22%3A%22og.likes%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D

My Op-Ed in the Toronto Star "Stephen Harper’s decision on CNOOC finally gets the China connection right"

2012-12-10T19:48:00.001-05:00

With greatly enhanced Chinese investment in Canada, one could easily see the pro-China business lobbyists and their think-tank pundits ever more active - and effective - in seeking to further the interests of the Chinese state in Canada. The national security implications of this could go far beyond the concerns that Dick Fadden, the CSIS director, has voiced in recent years about Canadian decision-makers being "under the influence of the Chinese state."

So hundreds of billions of Chinese yuan will not be coming to Canada in years ahead, as some had hoped would be the case. The Chinese government and the Canadian China lobby will not be happy about this. But in Canada's relations with the People's Republic of China, it is clearly better to be respected than loved.

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1300372--stephen-harper-s-decision-on-cnooc-finally-gets-the-china-connection-right

My Op-Ed "Stephen Harper’s new trade rules safeguard Canada’s interests"

2012-12-08T14:56:00.001-05:00

If China was to follow up its Nexen acquisition with other large investments and become a significant player in Canada's economy, the consequences go far beyond simply which nation would benefit economically from Canada's resources.

http://m.theglobeandmail.com/commentary/stephen-harpers-new-trade-rules-are-in-canadas-best-interest/article6136355/?service=mobile

Harper says Canada not for sale, as Conservatives approve CNOOC Nexen buy-out | The Vancouver Observer

2012-12-08T09:37:00.001-05:00

"Given the scale of potential Chinese investment in Canada's natural resources, a major question that should be on many Canadians' minds is what percentage of ownership by the Chinese state is acceptable to Canadians in natural resources?"

http://www.vancouverobserver.com/world/harper-says-canada-not-sale-conservatives-approve-cnooc-nexen-buy-out

月亮代表我的心馬拉威ACC孩子們

2012-11-18T14:42:00.002-05:00

Prove China spy allegations or 'shut up,' ambassador says - Politics - CBC News

2012-11-17T10:26:00.001-05:00

Prove China spy allegations or 'shut up,' ambassador says - Politics - CBC News

Zhang Junsai said political reform is "high" on the government and party's agenda. I am inclined to disagree with him on that.

New CCP Poliburo Standing C'tee Emerges

2012-11-14T22:58:00.003-05:00

New Politburo Standing c'tee: Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan, Zhang Gaoli. No "reformers"

Xinhua reports that Xi Jinping has taken control of the military commission.

The composition of new standing committee of the Chinese politburo that has just emerged this morning reflects the disappointing "stay the course" theme of outgoing Party General Secretary's Work Report at the opening of the 18th Congress. There are no members among them identifying as in the kaiming (enlightened) faction represented by pro-Western reformers such as the leader of Guangdong Wang Yang. It is hard to imagine that this groups will pay little more than lip service to addressing official corruption and to the pressing need to stimulate domestic demand to reduce difference between rich and poor. Strong measures under strong charismatic leaders are needed to renew and refocus the Party to regain popular support. This bland and largely undistinguished group appears to be the harbinger of a Brezhnev-like era in China with no meaningful reform of political and legal institutions or the winding down of the police state security apparatus. Transferring Wang Qishan off the economic portfolio suggests that therer will be further reorientation of the economy toward state enterprises and more Party direction of economic development. Xi immediately displacing Hu Jintao as Chairman of the Central Military Commission further suggests the eclipse of the relatively liberal Youth League faction and a full consolidation of power by Jiang Zemin's Shanghai faction and the taizidang (Princeling faction). Canadian was hoping for a younger more liberal more open group, but in Communist Party terms what we are getting are a more conservative and less open to the west group of younger leaders. This does not bode well for China's future in general nor for improved Canada-China relations in specific.

My Op-Ed in the Toronto Star "China's Communist rulers disappoint hopes for change"

2012-11-13T20:52:00.002-05:00

My Op-Ed in the Toronto Star "China's Communist rulers disappoint hopes for change" - thestar.com -

"What Chinese people really want is an end to China's police state repression, an end to censorship of political debate and the right to choose their leaders. It would be a win-win situation - and such a democratic, open China would also give Canada a lot less pause over Chinese state investment in Canada."

http://goo.gl/0QyGm

Deeply Moving Speech by PM for Remembrance Day in Hong Kong

2012-11-12T08:25:00.000-05:00

My Interview on Party Congress broadcast on CTV News Channel

2012-11-10T12:03:00.001-05:00

CTV News | News Video - Top National News Headlines - News Videos

My Observation on the 18th Party Congress So Far

2012-11-09T08:18:00.001-05:00

Xi Jinping is not likely to do for politics what Deng did for economics --- he seems more like a Brezhnev type. Despite recognizing the fact of stagnation and decline, the Party has chosen to pay only lip service to the need to address official corruption, the need to increase domestic demand to address the widening gap between rich and poor, and the need for more political legitimacy by allowing citizen participation and freedom of debate. No effective measures to address these serious issues are being proposed.

Any significant legal-political change would probably mean that many CCP leaders would not only lose their jobs, but also face prison for "corruption." They know what happened to the Soviet Union Communist Party under Gorbachev and other Communist Parties under reformers and so do not want to follow that path.

The Stalinist system in the world only survives now in North Korea, Cuba, Laos and the PRC. In no country that abandoned its Stalinist system is there support for return to that system.

I feel that if Chinese people feel seriously let down by 18th Congress that the political situation in China could become dangerous. I feel anxious at this prospect.

Video: Analyzing the CCP Leadership Transition (Ong Burton, Paltiel, Potter)

2012-11-08T13:26:00.001-05:00

Charles Burton's Blog

My Interview on Sun TV about BC NDP Candidate Frank Huang

My response to Paul Evans on Canada's China policy published in May issue of Literary Review of Canada

Yahoo closing all China e-mail services

University shuts down Dalai Lama visit - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

My interview on China and Korea on Wednesday WABC John Batchelor Show

Further Delay in Trial of Suspect in Death of Miss Liu Qian

My Op-Ed in Globe and Mail today "China’s Communists find Marxism"

140 Nobel laureates urge China to release Liu Xiaobo - www.ddinews.com

Video showing PLA Chinese Cyber-hackers at work

Colloque: «La Chine et le Monde après le XVIIIe Congrès du PCC»

PLA Cyber-Unit Has Hacked Into Canadian Pipeline Switches

China Fraud Accusations: Wesley Clark's Ex-Firm Faces Questions - ABC News

Companies in China are mislabeling domestically made food products as halal imports from Islamic nations

Foreign Policy Article by U.S. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher on Chinese Media in the USA

My Op-Ed in the Toronto Star "Stephen Harper’s decision on CNOOC finally gets the China connection right"

My Op-Ed "Stephen Harper’s new trade rules safeguard Canada’s interests"

Harper says Canada not for sale, as Conservatives approve CNOOC Nexen buy-out | The Vancouver Observer

月亮代表我的心 馬拉威ACC孩子們

Prove China spy allegations or 'shut up,' ambassador says - Politics - CBC News

New CCP Poliburo Standing C'tee Emerges

My Op-Ed in the Toronto Star "China's Communist rulers disappoint hopes for change"

Deeply Moving Speech by PM for Remembrance Day in Hong Kong

My Interview on Party Congress broadcast on CTV News Channel

My Observation on the 18th Party Congress So Far

Video: Analyzing the CCP Leadership Transition (Ong Burton, Paltiel, Potter)

月亮代表我的心馬拉威ACC孩子們