Ep. 264: Why the Canada-China relationship needs a reset

Guest: Jonathan Manthorpe, author

Does Canada have a distorted sense of its relationship with the government in Beijing?

According to distinguished foreign correspondent and author Jonathan Manthorpe, we mistakenly think the government of the People’s Republic of China actually cares about what we think.

Wrong, says Manthorpe. They care what is said about them by foreign governments because they want to portray a utopian image of the economic miracle that continues to unfold in their country. Any criticism is quickly challenged internationally and silenced within their borders.

What is equally concerning to the government in Beijing, according to Manthorpe, is criticism from expats. In his book, “Claws of the Panda,” Manthorpe points out the ruling party keeps tabs on vocal opponents and lets them know they are watching and they are more than willing to include extended family members in their campaign to silence the voices they do not want to hear.

When our prime minister says he is going to talk to the government in Beijing about human rights and the rule of law, Manthorpe says all that does is irritate the Chinese government and throws a chill on government-to-government relations. Then add in the arrest of Meng Wanzhou of Huawei and the relationship turned icy cold with far reaching consequences that affect anyone who travels to or does business with China.

We invited Jonathan Manthorpe to join us for a Conversation That Matters about our distorted view of our relationship with China and how we might get it on track to accurately reflect its true nature – that being, we are a pawn in China’s North American strategy and we own natural resources their overheated economy requires.