Canada will apply to join the China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the bank’s president Jin Liqun said on Wednesday, making it the latest ally of the United States to join the new global development bank.
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Trudeau will be in China from today until September 6, and will visit the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Hangzhou, where he will participate in the G20 summit on Sunday and Monday next week.
At a question-and-answer session with the China Entrepreneur Club, Jack Ma, founder of the tech company Alibaba Group and one of Asia’s wealthiest people, paid “special thanks” to the elder Trudeau during a love-in for his son.
Canada’s announcement came during Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s visit to China, where he met Prime Minister Li Keqiang to try to strengthen ties before the G20 summit this weekend in Hangzhou.
There is still some wariness in official Ottawa about supporting China’s global influence, particularly with its recent actions the South China Sea, said Paul Evans of the University of British Columbia’s Institute for Asian Research.
Ritz offered Trudeau some advice when broaching China’s less-than-stellar human rights record: don’t do it in public.
Asked if he had raised human rights concerns and the case of a jailed Canadian, Trudeau said the foundation of a good relationship is the ability to be frank and open about issues that can be worked on together. He will also visit Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Shipping containers stacked up at the port in Qingdao, China, stand as testament that business between China and Canada is still booming despite economic downturn.
The two countries disagree about what level of “dockage” – foreign material such as weeds, other crops and detritus – should be considered acceptable in Canada’s canola exports to China.
China’s ambassador to Canada, Luo Zhaohui, has stated that Canada has been inflexible and unfair in its approach to talks that began about seven years ago over Chinese concerns about rules for the make-up of canola shipments.
The Chinese are a major customer for 43,000 farmers, mainly in Western Canada but also Ontario and Quebec, who export their product through grain handlers.
Mr. Trudeau’s main focus during his eight-day foray will be economic.
The trip is also significant because the Chinese people are now becoming interested with China as they travel the world, look for better education opportunities and investments.
Despite wanting to do more trade with countries like China, Canadians are generally wary of state-run businesses, according to the poll.
It remains to be seen how the Chinese react to Mr. Trudeau’s calls for the respect of human rights during his trip, however forceful he makes it.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R front) meets with visiting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 30, 2016.
“What actually we need with China is to reset the relationship a little bit”, Trudeau told reporters Friday, the same day his predecessor, Stephen Harper, announced he was resigning from politics.
That said, Canada has sent mixed messages to China recently.
The Chinese are saying they hope the official visit will “build trust” between key members of the Canadian and Chinese governments.
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Still, sources have told The Globe and Mail that there will be “no movement” toward a free-trade deal with China. He said judicial authorities will handle cases in strict accordance with the law.
