China relations: How Canada does it

November 13 2017

China is Canada's second largest trading partner. In 2016, two-way goods trade was worth C$60 billion. This is up 28 percent on five years ago. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has voiced a desire to double trade between Canada and China by 2025. Last year also saw Chinese investment in Canada top C$7 billion. There are risks, however, should the US-China relationship deteriorate, or if China decides to divert purchases to the US rather than Canada to reduce the trade surplus with the former. How is Canada managing these challenges? Does Canada's China policy offer any lessons for other liberal democracies such as Australia?

The Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI) at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) hosted Canadian scholar Professor Gordon Houlden, Director of the China Institute at the University of Alberta, and a former senior diplomat in the Canadian Foreign Service with multiple postings in Beijing, as well as Hong Kong and Taipei. Professor Houlden spoke on Canada's experience managing a China policy with reference to Canada's close relationship with the US.

Professor Houlden also talked about Canada's role in discussions on the TPP in Vietnam.

Why did Canada not turn up? What are Canada's reservations about the TPP? Is it all about Trump and NAFTA?

Following his presentation, Professor Houlden was interviewed by Professor Bob Carr, ACRI Director, and participated in a Q&A session with the audience.

Time: 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Related links

'China policy in Canada and Australia - with Gordon Houlden', The ACRI Podcast, November 16 2017. Subscribe to the ACRI Podcast on iTunes.

Gordon Houlden
Professor Houlden was appointed as the Director of the China Institute and Professor of Political Science at the University of Alberta in 2008. Mr. Houlden was born in Calgary, Alberta, and attended the University of Calgary where he received his B.A., and subsequently did graduate work at Carleton University in Ottawa, and at the University Nacional in Lima, Peru. He joined the Canadian Foreign Service in 1976, and has served in Ottawa in the East Asian, China, Caribbean, Latin American and Defence Relations divisions. Abroad Mr. Houlden has been posted to Havana, Hong Kong (twice), Warsaw, Beijing (twice – most recently as Minister 2001-2004), and as Executive Director of the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei (2004-2006). While a foreign service officer Mr. Houlden studied at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (1981-1983), and at the National Defence College in Kingston (1992-1993). Twenty-two of his years in the Canadian foreign service were spent working on Chinese affairs for the Government of Canada. His last assignment before joining the University of Alberta in 2008 was as Director General of the East Asian Bureau of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.