“I think it depends on the market, on the products. Is there enough competitiveness or not,” Ambassador Wang Di said … if he wants to see an increase in Canadian imports to China.

Mr. Wang Di is joking, right?

Chinese subsidies for its firms are just one obstacle for foreign companies to compete in China’s market. The government in Beijing makes it widely impossible for non-Chinese firms to compete in its domestic market, which is why no non-Chinese company has ever been able to maintain a strong market position within China. Beijing is only interested in the technology, and production and other know-how. Once they got what they want, foreign companies are not welcome anymore.

You can do some tit-for-tat trade, but China is by no means a reliable trading partner.

Btw, Canada’s exports to China in 2024 amounted to 21 billion, while Canadian imports from China were 63 billion.

Yeah, and here on Lemmy is a large community that is now campaigning for China to erode Canada’s sovereignty even more.

Yes, it can’t be done quickly, but there is no alternative to diversifying trade. Canada must sell its canola into other markets than China, and China’s offer of lift canola tariffs if Canada lifts EV tariffs is a bad deal for Canada imo.

(That aside, China’s tariffs on Canadian canola is not just hitting Canada. Very much as Trump is hurting U.S. citizens with his tariffs, Xi Jinping is hurting Chinese people with his tariffs on canola… China’s trade policy is bad for the Chinese economy, too.)

Like choosing between the plague and cholera?

No, the choice is not between just two countries. Canada must diversify its trade, particularly with democratic partners around the globe.

I don’t know what makes you bet on that as there are no signs of such behaviour. Canada and the G7 (and any democratic country) must act on the rule of law, of course. But it’s right that we must be vigilant as this is not given. Globally, we have seen China’s illegal mining operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, how Chinese rare-earth mining threatens the Mekong River, or how China has relocated its most polluting mines to war-torn Myanmar.

The West must follow a different path.

There is zero slave labour in the process.

This is outright false. There is ample evidence for slave-like labour, it’s even been posted in this thread.

These cheap Chinese cars are made with slave-like labour and other coercive measures, no tariffs can ever change that. When made by slave-labour, there is no such thing as a fair price.

Canada should do the same with Chinese vehicles - at least, as it’s possibly a better idea to not let them in.

As a European, I find this a ‘non-news’. The EU’s democracy commissioner just said that the EU won’t “lecture” other countries such as Canada, which is a just and fair statement imo as it is on Canada (and other countries) to find its way. I do hope that Ottawa will join the EU and push ahead on regulating tech platforms and artificial intelligence, but the decision is up on Canada, of course.

I am not a historian, but I guess we can all say that colonialism and the negative impacts are historical facts. What I am wondering is how this compares to contemporary colonial policies practiced today by large countries that are invading its neighbours, occupy foreign land, try to bully neighbouring countries to re-draw borders, or suppress minorities? How much has humanity learned form history?

I don’t question the content, but the media outlet apparently has a strong article selection bias.

This is an op-ed by a Canadian who undoubtedly knows what he is talking about.

Addition, as a reminder:

‘From hell to limbo’: Michael Kovrig describes more than a thousand days as China’s prisoner

You may have (intentionally?) misunderstood my comment.

You got no information about Chinese supply chains, even transparency of stock listed companies in China are almost zero. China is heavily working against transparency standards in supply chains.

China is highly unreliable. Just look at China’s Belt and Road Initiative ‘partners’ and how they do (or look at those who decided to leave the initiative).

There is ample evidence. I also sure you want the best for Canada but like everyone else has been heavily influenced by Chinese propaganda to dismiss China critics absurdly accusing them of being a racist.

Chinese would also employ Canadians or any other countries investing in Canada.

No. Chinese factories abroad employ Chinese migrant workers as it has been also said here on Lemmy multiple times. Also, Canadian suppliers won’t be deliver much as Chinese EV makes employ their own suppliers from integrated value chains.

Why buying Chinese goods funding Chinese genocide in Xinjiang, Tibet, Inner Mongolia?

No, China hasn’t joked about that, but they will do so if they can.

Canada can do this and all other things without close relationships with China or other dictatorships. Such governments aren’t reliable partners. There are no human rights in China, no willingness to make supply chains transparent, an the country shields off it domestic markets from foreign competition.

The entire Canadian economy would be negatively effected in the long-term by such a move.

Accusing Canada or other Western countries of protectionism while defending China is a bit of hypocrisy, no?

In addition, look why these ChEaP cHiNeSe CaRs are that cheap. I don’t want to buy a car or anything else that is made by slave labor.