Keeping an eye on Communist, Totalitarian China, and its influence both globally, and we as Canadians. I have come to the opinion that we are rarely privy to truth regarding the real goal, the agenda of China, it's ambitions for Canada [including special focus on the UK, US & Australia]. No more can we trust the legacy media as there appears to be increasing censorship applied to the topic of communist China. I ask why. Here is what I find.
Beijing is looking for a closer relationship with Ottawa. Should Canada play ball?
Chinese Ambassador to Canada Cong Peiwu poses for a portrait at the Embassy of China in Ottawa on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.
Beijing is seeking to improve relations with Ottawa after years of diplomatic unease, and though it's not clear whether Canada is ready to play ball, some experts say there are practical reasons to look for better co-operation.
"The strained relations between our two countries is actually not what we would like to see," China’s ambassador to Canada, Cong Peiwu, said in a recent interview.
"We can be engaged in a candid and constructive dialogue."
This year has already marked an uptick in high-level talks.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly had a lengthy call with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in January, followed by a February meeting in Germany. They only had a brief conversation in 2023.
In both meetings, China laid out its demands for better relations, including "correct cognition," or Canada accepting responsibility for causing diplomatic strain — as Cong put it, "the responsibility does not lie with China."
Beijing also wants "mutual respect," which would include not recognizing an independent Taiwan, and "win-win co-operation," which means fewer trade and science restrictions.
Relations are already in the gutter, noted Carleton University professor Jeremy Paltiel, who specializes in Canada-China relations.
"The Chinese are saying, 'You're offering nothing, so why should we play ball? If you're just gonna show up to criticize, then we're not interested,'" he said.
Paltiel said it would be tricky for Ottawa to find something to work together on that won't rile up the Canadian public or the U.S. government. Both increasingly think about scientific research through security or intellectual-property lenses, he said.
Still, Beijing's priorities could be leveraged into something that is useful for Canada, he suggested.
One form of "win-win co-operation" could be agreeing to export small amounts of liquefied natural gas. Both countries could brand such a move as focused on reducing global carbon emissions by giving China another alternative to coal.
Other countries have found ways to co-operate without backing down on their values, argued Paltiel.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese became the first leader of his country to visit Beijing in seven years last fall.
His government convinced China to drop trade restrictions, Paltiel noted, even as it continued to raise human-rights issues with Beijing and work with the U.S. on nuclear submarines.
At around the same time, Joly vowed to undertake "pragmatic diplomacy" and engage more with states Canada has deep disagreements with.
Her office said that approach was demonstrated by her March visit to Saudi Arabia.
Joly has not signalled whether a visit to China is on the horizon.
The Canada China Business Council argues Canadian industry is losing ground to its American, Australian and European competitors, who are taking on Canada's market share in China for goods such as pet food.
A survey of 143 Canadian businesses last fall found "public and corporate sentiment on China remains a tremendous obstacle."
Some 58 per cent said the risk of China arbitrarily detaining staff was still negatively affecting their business, more than five years after China arrested Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor following the Vancouver detainment of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou.
That's down from 70 per cent who flagged the issue in 2021.
Vina Nadjibulla, the research vice-president for the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and the primary advocate for Kovrig during his detention, said China took a more assertive posture on the world stage around the time the two Michaels were detained, forcing a rethink in Washington.
The U.S. limited its engagement over human-rights and trade issues. China's growing trade with Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine and Beijing's use of reconnaissance balloons proved further provocation in the years that followed.
But in mid-2023, the Biden administration undertook high-level meetings with Chinese counterparts in the hopes of getting relations back on track, a trend replicated by European and Australian allies.
It's OK if Canada does not move aggressively to do the same, Nadjibulla said.
She noted that despite the chill in relations and persistent irritants — like Canada's concern with alleged interference in recent federal elections — Canada's bilateral trade with China has actually grown in recent years.
"We need to get out of this framing of needing to win favour with China to be able to have a functional relationship," she said.
"The state of our relations with China is what it needs to be, and it's moving in the direction to be more functional to serve our interests."
There needs to be some engagement with China, Nadjibulla said, on security in the Indo-Pacific region and transnational issues such as stopping the flow of fentanyl.
At the same time, she said Ottawa should call out Chinese actions in the South China Sea that undermine the international boundaries of the Philippines and continue to support Taiwan.
China sees the democracy as a breakaway region that needs to be under Beijing's rule, and Cong said Ottawa is breaching a long-held policy not to weigh in on China's Taiwan position.
Nadjibulla called 2023 "a landmark year for Canada-Taiwan relations" with a series of agreements signed on issues ranging from public health to investment.
She said Canada's chairmanship this year of a Pacific Rim trade bloc could have Ottawa help Taiwan to enter that group.
"My hope is that as we stabilize relations with (Beijing) we don't lose sight of the fact that we need to continue to deepen engagement with Taiwan, and we don't let any kind of pressure or self-censorship come into the equation," she added.
Liberal MP John McKay has argued that Canada should go even further.
"Our nation has often failed to take a firm stance on this issue, opting instead for a cautious approach of not offending the government of China," he told a conference last month held by the Institute for Peace and Diplomacy.
"This reluctance to fully embrace Taiwan's aspirations not only undermines our own values, but sends a message that we are willing to compromise on principles for the sake of economic interests."
Federal posturing hasn't stopped Beijing from flirting with other levels of government as it seeks to rebuild its relationships in Canada.
In a recent interview with La Presse Canadienne, China's consul general in Montreal, Yuming Dai, said Quebec Premier François Legault would always be welcome to visit Beijing.
China's' continuing relationship with China according to the Liberal Government are in these areas:
Partnerships and organizations
To develop effective responses to today’s most pressing global challenges, Canada and China work closely in multilateral fora, such as:
Top: Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau shakes hands with Mao Zedong in 1973. Bottom: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shakes hands with Xi Jinping in 2016. What does China hope to achieve by meddling in Canadian affairs? It’s a good question, and one the National Post’s Tom Blackwell has set out to answer. In recent months, a number of media reports have suggested that China interfered in the federal elections of 2019 and 2021 in favour of the Liberal Party of Canada. Of course, China denies this accusation entirely. But experts disagree.They say that Beijing has clear goals in mind when it interferes in Canadian affairs. These goals include trying to keep Canada quiet about China’s human rights abuses, disrupting Canada’s relationships with its intelligence partners andfinding ways to steal technology and trade secrets. Canada’s relationship with China, which really floundered when Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, a Huawei executive, and China, in turn, detained two Canadians on suspicion of spying, wasn’t always this way. In fact, former ambassador John McCallum had touted a “great new era” in relations between the two countries. Well, it doesn’t seem to have lasted.
Canada is in the mouth of the dragon, Oligarchical Collective/Corporate Communist China and also in the mouth of the wolf, Oligarchical Collective/Corporate Communist Russia. The USA and UK are also being similarily devoured but like here, no one over there, is talking about it. I was in the UK this past summer [2004] and not a word of criticism was spoken or written regarding Newcastle importing coal from the USSR and major soccer teams being bought by rich Russian government gangsters. It was also very difficult to find anything that wasn't MADE IN CHINA and although the quality was cheap the price-tag was expensive. But back to sheepy old Canada, land of the fleeced, where not a bleat of critical comment is uttered as the aforesaid dragon and wolf devour our nation's resources in broad daylight. Here are the links to the particular stories I'm referring to today: CHINA DEVOURING CANADA'S METAL and CANADA BUYING USSR'S GAS To learn what Orwell meant by Oligarchical Collectivism and what I mean by Corporate Communism go to my essay CORPORATE COMMUNISM. And to learn what's behind the western world's cozy relationship with the eastern world go to CHINESE TAKE-OVER. This is all about selling Canadians, Brits, Aussies and Americans into slavery to totalitarian tyrants run by Big Brother, also known as One World Government. ~ Jackie Jura watch Canadian people say China biggeset threat to national security, CBC, Oct 25, 2012 Over the past couple of months, we've been inundated with stories about the proposed CNOOC takeover of Nexen, the Canada-China Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA) and about Chinese citizens coming to British Columbia to work in a mine. The polls tell us that Canadians are saying no, no and no. Nanos Research released the results of another survey on Wednesday, claiming that Canadians believe China is the biggest threat to our national security — even more so than Iran. The Prime Minister says it's Iran. Do Canadians agree? The anti-Chinese rhetoric is also evident in the media. Well-respected B.C. political analyst Bill Tielman wrote a column earlier this week, opining about how Canada will deal with the "China challenge to our national sovereignty". "It may be the most important question facing the country, with far more dire consequences than the election of a separatist provincial government in Quebec," he wrote for The Tyee. "Is Canada sleepwalking towards a future day when a communist-ruled undemocratic China has significant control of key parts of our economy? The evidence is mounting."...
Jeremy Paltiel, a professor of political science at Carleton University, says the Sino-phobia is misguided. "My concern is with the ignorant projections that associate "China", "state-owned", "Communist party" and "takeover" with nightmarish fantasies of the People's Liberation Army marching down Jasper Avenue in Edmonton", he wrote for the Financial Post. Former finance minister and foreign affairs minister John Manley admits that there are significant 'threats' but says that shouldn't stop us from doing business with the Asian superpower. "It's a popular belief now that China's a big threat rather than a big opportunity", he said at a Vancouver Board of Trade luncheon on Wednesday. "I don't quite see it that way. I don't dismiss the fact that there's a threat — there are issues around international property protection, there are issues around whether or not China be recognized as a market economy", he noted. "But we're going to have to do business in China...It's fundamentally the re-balancing of the global economy that we have to deal with." Manley, who is now the president and CEO of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, says the anti-China sentiment is also prevalent in the United States.... Certainly, the 'West' needs to safeguard itself against the potential threats from China. But the reality is that Canada needs to do business with China, a country that within a few years will have the world's largest economy. The sooner we accept that, the better off we'll all be. Canda PM backs Communist Bethune shrine, Toronto Sun, Jul 11, 2012 Officials are being wooed by China, by Renata D'aliesio, Vancouver Sun, Jul 30, 2010 CHINA TALONS IN CANADA OIL SANDS LIPSTICK ON PIG POLITICIANS OZ & CANADA FUEL CHINA'S NUKES PALIN RIGHT ON RUSSIA CHINESE FORTUNE-COOKIE OZ PM SPIED FOR CHINA CHINA NUKES THRU PANAMA? USA DOWNPLAYS CHINA THREAT USA LETS CHINA SCAN NUKES CHINA POLLUTION HITS AMERICA CHINA RAIN-CONTROLLED OLYMPICS CHINA'S TORTURED DISSIDENTS CHINA SHANGHAIING CANADA WINSTON SMITH NOW LEE China shopping spree to include Canada resources. CanadaCom, Mar 5, 2009 MADE-IN-CHINA FOOD? Algoma Steel joins ranks of foreign-owned ("Putting patriotism aside, I look at the business fundamentals", says Canadian banker). Globe & Mail, Apr 16, 2007 KYOTO = KILL YOUR OWN TOMORROWS
CANADA'S TOP 100 CHINESE Canada pays back Chinese Head Tax (gives $20,000 for $50 paid by immigrants in 1885). CTC, Oct 23, 2006 100 Influential Chinese Canadians (wield immense influence on every aspect of our society). VanSun/CTC, Oct 23, 2006 CANADA GATE FOR CHINA BC wants more money going for China (has already given $6-billion to improve transportation) & Canada gives $591-M to China gateway (railways built forChinamen). Cancom/VanSun, Oct 17, 2006 Canada forestry jobs going to China ('motivated workforce at very low wages'). CBC, Nov 20, 2005 "Nationalize oil & gas" say Canadians (& cut taxes & fix pump price). CBC, Sep 6, 2005 CANADA GROVELS TO COMMUNISTS CHARLES' CHINA TAKEAWAY TALK CHINA AND US CHINA ATTACK USA BY PANAMA? CANADA & USA IN CHINA BOAT CHINA TALKS TOUGH TO CANADA China's Hu to visit resource-rich Canada (looking for more sources of energy). Reuters, Sep 6, 2005 REMEMBER WHO HU IS (chief cop of China's police state chosen by cabal of Communists) MAO: THE UNKNOWN STORY (Stalin: The Ghost Who Haunts China), book review by Sunday Times RED CHINESE CAPITALIST BANKERS MAYTAG LONELY CHINAMAN NOW CANADA/USSR DEAL IN LNG WHERE'S THE BEEF GONNA GO? China's Canadian Adventure (Chinese espionage & spy activities in energy & raw materials sectors). FrontPageMagazine, May 5, 2005. Go to CHINA SPYING ON CANADA & USA China buys into Canada's oilsands ("It's a first step for China, it probably won't be the last"). National Post, Apr 14, 2005. Go to CHINA'S FOOT IN TAR SANDS DOOR USA okays IBM sale to China (in spite of industrial espionage & secrets passing to Chinese military). Guardian, Mar 10, 2005 & China textiles flood USA market(American manufacturing plants closing; thousands of jobs being lost). NewYorkTimes, Mar 10, 2005. Go to IBM = I-BE-MANDARIN & CHINA CLOTHES STRIP AMERICANS & 9.Masses Down & 6.Superstates Britain hopes Red China buys Rover (when President Hu Jintao visited Paris the Eiffel Tower was bathed in red light & dragons paraded along Champs Elysées). The Times, Feb 23, 2005 USA watches China woo Carribean (Beijing's growing economic clout is tipping scales in Western Hemisphere). ABC News, Feb 23, 2005. Go to USA APPLAUDS CHINA TAKE CARRIBEAN Canadian steel union likes Russian bid (4,000 Stelco workers back USSR Severstal buying record-breaking profit maker). National Post, Feb 15, 2005. Go to 9.Keeping Masses Down & SELLING ROPE TO HANG US China tourism deal is worth the wait (Canada gets Approved Destination Status). Toronto Star, Feb 15, 2005. Go to BEYOND ORWELL & THE CHINESE ARE COMING! Reader says Canada is becoming a surrogate country for China CANADA'S HUSKY BARKING CHINESE (Husky Oil Inc being sold to China & stock value rises at news). Globe & Mail, Dec 2, 2004 VISITORS FROM CHANGPING (delegation from Communist China tours hospital-pulp mill-water plant etc). Daily News, Nov 25, 2004 CHINA'S SLAVE WORKERS USSR STEALING CANADA'S STEEL LAOGAI IS CHINESE GULAG USA GAVE CHINA PANAMA CANAL PM LAUDS CHINA TAKING-OVER CHINA DEAL NOT BENEFICIAL CHINA FLEXING MILITARY MUSCLE CHINA RISING: Get ready for China's century (new boss may soon be Beijing government). Go to CHINA'S SLAVE WORKERS. Globe & Mail, Oct 22, 2004 & China flexing it's military muscle (by 2015 China could have 100 nuclear missiles aimed at USA). Go to CHINESE TAKE-OVER Noranda deal leaves sweet taste in parties' mouths, Globe & Mail, Oct 12, 2004 The Goat Report on Business: I have found compelling and delicious evidence that the boys at Brascan are confident China Minmetals will emerge as the buyer of Noranda, the mining giant it controls: The victory celebration dinner has already been held. Officially, of course, the game is not over -- anyone is still free to trump Minmetals and its $7-billion takeover proposal. And good luck to you. But if there were a reasonable chance of that happening, you would think the chow-down at Toronto's Rosewater Supper Club would have been put off. The event, held last Wednesday, was sponsored by Citigroup, the world's biggest bank and financial adviser to Minmetals. The famous Marc Thuet presided as chef. More than 80 guests were invited -- from Citigroup, Minmetals, the China Development Bank and HSBC, among others. Thuet's menu for the evening included Quebec seared fois gras, followed by venison tenderloin. The wine was a selection of fine French varieties -- Canadian wines were banned. I am told the dessert -- maple syrup cookies -- was a great hit, so great in fact that the guests were seen smuggling them out of Rosewater after the liquid evening's end. Clever marketing for Thuet, by the way... Chinese Dragon stings Russian Bear (Third World poverty stricken China now "Yellow Peril" massively migrating, devouring Russian resources & people). Globe & Mail, Nov 14, 2004. Go to 7.Sytems of Thought & 10.Rulers & RUSSIA IS HELL'S INFERNO A NICKEL FOR YOUR KINGDOM (keep Beijing out of Sudbury - security of USA & Canada at stake). National Post, Oct 1, 2004 PANAMA FALKLAND REVELATIONS (USA gave Panama Canal to Communist China and British ships carried nukes to Falkland War) CANADA'S RED TRUDEAU CHINA'S COMMUNIST CAPITALISTS ARMING OUR ENEMIES CORPORATE COMMUNISM 10.The Rulers and 9.Keeping Masses Down and 6.Super-States and 7.Systems of Thought and 35.The Brotherhood and 2.Big Brother and 5.Pyramidal New World Order Go to 1984 DESCRIBES GOLDSTEIN'S CONSPIRACY FOR WORLD DOMINATION
Jackie Jura ~ an independent researcher monitoring local, national and international events ~
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty rolled out the welcome mat for Chinese investment in the Canadian energy sector, saying this country’s foreign-investment rules pose little hindrance to the growth of a Chinese presence.... The high price of developing the oil sands has been a concern for China, which wants to bring in their own cheap labour to offset costs.
Four years ago [2005] the fire-breathing dragon that is Red China dipped its talons into Canada's oilsands. See CHINA'S FOOT IN TAR SANDS DOOR Now the Communist beast wants MORE, MORE, MORE, MORE and Canada's sheeplike, treasonous politicians (owned by capitalist corporations) plan to give it more. As per usual, not one word of dissent is voiced in the right-wing-owned left-wing lap-dog press. See CHINESE TAKE-OVER & CHINADA'S SOVIETIZATION Resource grabs by Communist China are happening all over the world but in no other nation is it met with such passivity as in Canada. See CANADA GATE FOR CHINA We don't have even ONE politician speaking out against it. Every single one of them - federal, provincial, territorial, municipal - has seemingly been bought off with junkets to the dragon's den. ~ Jackie Jura
Petro China has agreed to buy a 60% stake in two planned Canadian oil sands projects for $1.7bn (£1bn). The firm, which is Asia's largest oil company, is buying the holdings in the MacKay River and Dover fields from Canadian firm Athabasca Oil Sands. The two fields hold about five billion barrels of oil, and Canada's government is expected to back the deal. Canada's Alberta oil sands hold the world's second-largest crude reserves, but the cost of extraction is high. This is because the process of separating the oil from the sand is both energy and labour intensive, and as such it has only been cost effective when global oil prices have been high. Analysts say world oil prices need to be above $80 a barrel for the Canadian oil sands to be viable. Oil is currently trading at about $70 a barrel after hitting highs of $147 last summer, and a low of near $30 at the start of this year. "The Canadian government is looking for investment and injections of capital," said William Lacey, an analyst at FirstEnergy Capital. "I don't see why this wouldn't be viewed as a positive." Canada's oil sands are estimated to hold a total 173 billion barrels of oil, the world's second-largest reserves behind Saudi Arabia.
Calgary - China's oilsands buying spree could herald the start of a fresh wave of foreign investment in Canada and improving trade relations between the two countries, observers said Tuesday. PetroChina's $1.9-billion purchase of a majority stake in a pair of bitumen projects operated by Athabasca Oil Sands Corp. marksthe country's largest direct investment in Canada to date, coming on the heels of the $1.7-billion injection into Teck Cominco in July. Teck has 20 per cent in the Fort Hills oilsands project, which now belongs to Suncor Energy Inc. According to Kenny Zhang, a senior research analyst with the Vancouver-based Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, the PetroChina deal could open the floodgates to Chinese investment in Canada after years of the Asian giant sitting on the sidelines. He's hoping for "more normal" trading relations after what he described as indifference on the part of the federal government. "It has positive implications for Canada-China relations," he said in an interview. "Canada is part of the global economy and can't ignore the importance of China." After centuries of self-imposed isolation, China's embrace of the outside world marks a dramatic philosophical and strategic shift in thinking, he added. "All indicators show that China is moving to be more influential in all respects of the world economy," he said. "China is going global." In Calgary, Premier Ed Stelmach welcomed the deal, coming at a time when the oilpatch -- and the provincial treasury -- has been hit hard by the global recession. "This shows that we are going to be game-changers in oil resources around the world," he told reporters. "This is going to help grow our economy. It's not only going to help Alberta, but you'll see this growth realized right across Canada because it's close to a $2-billion investment and we'll see the results of that, very positive results shared by all Canadians." Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been criticized for not doing enough to promote Sino-Canadian relations with criticism of China's human rights record. On Tuesday, he struck a cautionary response to the transaction. Although he said Canada welcomes foreign investment, he said the deal would be thoroughly scrutinized under Canadian laws that prevent state-owned corporations from controlling strategic resources such as oil and gas. "Obviously, this is a more controversial investment," Harper told an audience at the WorldSkills competition in Calgary. "I will just say there are laws in place to review foreign investment transactions when they meet a certain threshold. And our government has strengthened those reviews by including a clause that allows officials to examine issues of national security." Harper said he hasn't seen the legal analysis of the deal and only would say the government will apply the law that's in place. "We've been very clear that, in the middle of a global recession, we will not be introducing further barriers to foreign investment. But the laws that are in place will be the laws under which all transactions are examined.". China started investing in the Canadian oilsands in 2005, when SinoCanada Petroleum Corp., a subsidiary of Sinopec, bought a 40 per cent interest in the Synenco Northern Lights Project (now owned by Total). In April, the Chinese company upped its stake to 50 per cent. Also in 2005, the Chinese National Overseas Oil Co. bought a 16.69 per cent interest for$150 million in junior oilsands player MEG Energy, where it continues to hold one seat on the 10-member board.... Some have suggested the deal threatens Canada's energy security and special trading relationship with the United States, the country's single-largest customer for Canadian oil. But University of Calgary economist Frank Atkins dismissed those criticisms as fearmongering. "I really don't understand the security issue, Idon't see anything sinister in it," he said. "People are really digging up bogeymen where there aren't any." Bob Keiller, chief executive of Aberdeen, Scotland-based engineering company PSN, said Canada would do well to attract investment from companies, such as the state-owned Chinese corporations, with different funding models that are not pressured by shareholder expectations. "Perhaps they should be looking for Chinese or Middle Eastern investmentin Alberta to provide a different backdrop and a different model," Keiller said. "That's not to say no to international oil companies; they are hugely able and hugely professional in what they do. But if we keep doing the same things under the same conditions, likely we're going to get the same outcome --we'll likely see the chase for the boom and the drop-off when we see the bust." Representatives from the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers said the Chinese splash on Canadian shores underscores the global appeal of Canada's oilpatch. "Approximately half of the world's investable oil is in Alberta's oilsands," CAPP spokesman Travis Davies said. "That fact creates global interest and global capital, which in its own right is a positive for Alberta and Canada in terms of jobs and economic activity." "Capital is capital," he added. "A healthy free-market system doesn't discriminate based on the national spectre the money came from."
Its relentless pursuit of oil has led China's national oil company into the heart of Canada's energy industry, where it has struck a multibillion-dollar deal with a private Calgary oilsands player. If approved, the joint-venture agreement with Athabasca Oil Sands Corp. will give PetroChina Company Ltd. control over three billion barrels of bitumen. PetroChina is the publicly traded arm of China National Petroleum Corp., that country's largest oil and gas producer. The $1.9-billion deal, under which PetroChina will take a 60% interest in two oilsands projects in northeastern Alberta -- MacKay River and Dover -- is sure to attract more than the standard regulatory scrutiny given its value and foreign involvement. Like all such transactions, it is subject to Competition Bureau approval and the Investment Canada Act. Athabasca chairman Bill Gallacher said he's not worried the deal could raise red flags with regulators. But to help ensure a smooth passage, he has given the Alberta and federal governments advance notice of the pending transaction. "That's why we've been very respectful of all the processes that we're going to need to go down, and the pathways we're going to need to follow in order to make sure that we do get this approved," he said in a conference call yesterday. "It's courtesy for us to let both levels of government know that something of this magnitude is coming down and to make sure that they're fully informed." CEO Sveinung Svarte said "we don't believe (the regulatory process) should be a major obstacle to this deal."
Calgary - PetroChina's $1.9-billion venture into Alberta's oilsands -- giving the state-owned company a majority stake in key bitumen operations -- is sparking questions in Canada and the U. S. about energy security, and what say Ottawa should have in approving the deal. The Alberta government is urging the federal Tories to quickly give their blessing to the agreement, arguing international investment in the oilsands will produce a slew of economic spinoffs. Athabasca Oil Sands Corp. announced Monday that state-owned PetroChina International Investment Co. Ltd. will buy a 60 per cent share in its MacKay River and Dover projects for nearly $2 billion, marking the largest foray to date by China in the Canada oilsands. Under the Investment Canada Act, any international firm acquiring controlling interest of a company with assets more than $312 million will be reviewed by the federal government to determine its total value. Included within that inspection is a requirement that the company prove the net benefit of the deal to Canada. The Deal - PetroChina to buy 60 per cent stake in MacKay River and Dover oilsands projects; Athabasca will continue to operate the projects - $1.9-billion deal is China's largest venture in Canadian oilsands. - Deal expected to close Oct. 31. But the proposed agreement would see PetroChina take a controlling interest in two projects, not the entire company, which has even Athabasca's top brass uncertain what regulatory approvals are required. Ottawa has hinted it will exercise its power to protect Canadian resources should foreign companies try to take over assets important to the country's security. Bill Gallacher, chairman of AOSC [Athabasca Oil Sands Corp], said while his company gave the provincial and federal governments a heads-up that a deal was on the way, he is unsure which regulatory hurdles have to be cleared. "We know there will be some (regulatory approvals needed), but we just don't know which ones," Gallacher said. There's also provisions included within the federal legislation to review applicable deals for national securityreasons if concerns are raised by Foreign Affairs and International Trade or Public Safety Canada, said Darren Cunningham, communications director for federal Industry Minister Tony Clement. "You have to prove that this transaction is in the best interest of Canada," Cunningham said Monday. Cunninghamwouldn't specifically say whether Ottawa will review the PetroChina transaction under the Investment Canada Act, but noted "the government is always for international investment" because it's a boon to the Canadian economy. However, Chinese investment in North American oil companies has sparked questions in the past about energy security. In 2005, the Chinese National Offshore Oil Corporation -- a firm largely owned by the Chinese government -- attempted a takeover of U. S.-based Unocal Corp., but the move sparked outrage in Congress. The foreign company eventually abandoned its bid for Unocal. In Canada, federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice has said in the past he welcomes foreign investment into the oilsands because it will offer Alberta some additional export markets, rather than having to rely solely on the U. S. Both the Stelmach [Albert Premier] government and AOSC [Athabasca Oil Sands Corp] said they're confident the federal government will green light the deal if it's reviewed, recognizing the value to Alberta and Canada. "At the end of the day we are going to follow the proper pathways and channels needed to make sure this goes forward," said Gallacher. The agreement could help thaw what's been a chilly investment climate in Alberta, with about $100 billion worth of mining and in situ oilsands projects being shelved since last year. It could also produce much-needed employment opportunities for a battered provincial economy that's shed tens of thousands of jobs since last fall. "I certainly would be hopeful that they (Ottawa) would be speaking about this and what the advantages are to both the province and Canada," said Alberta Energy spokesman Tim Markle. NDP environment critic Linda Duncan, an Alberta MP, said it's incumbent upon the Harper government to ensure the agreement produces investment that's environmentally sustainable, but also provides jobs to Canadian workers. "We better make sure we're protecting our interests and the resource in the long term," Duncan said in an interview. If the PetroChina deal is approved, it will send a signal to U. S. decision-makers that Alberta has alternative markets for its oilsands, regardless of the environmental concerns routinely raised south of the border, said Chris Sands, a specialist in Canada-U. S. relations at the Washington-based Hudson Institute.
The issue of non-payment is also preoccupying Alberta and other officials. Harrison explained the situation: "There are two issues here. One is the OHS [occupational health and safety investigation and subsequent charges being laid]. Another is an employment standards investigation that led to the discovery of the 132 Chinese workers not being paid for their work from the date of the OHS incident [April 2007] to July of that year. The Alberta government is in receipt of $3.17-million and is in the midst of tracking the workers and determining a process to get this money back in the hands of workers." Canadian Natural has fully cooperated by handing over the payment, which has been put into a trust account by the government. Canadian Natural also has had to pay other contractors to tear down, then redo the work that was stopped after two of the tank structures collapsed, one of which led to the fatalities. Alberta is working with federal immigration authorities to find the workers and the families of all the unpaid workers to dispense the back pay and benefits. This contract was the first time a large group of temporary workers was brought in under one umbrella for one specific job. It has not happened since and the lesson learned is that "employers cannot delegate away safety but had also better be on the site supervising workers," Chodan said. As several of these matters are now before the courts, Canadian Natural cannot provide any comment at this time, the company told me last week. Canada urges Red China buy energy sector (top politicians & bankers entice top communists...China bring own cheap labour to offset costs). National Post, Aug 11, 2009 Flaherty pleased with Chinese relations, Ottawa Citizen, Aug 14, 2009 SHANGHAI — Finance Minister Jim Flaherty left China Friday with the stage set and the audience primed for a visit by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, perhaps as early as November. Flaherty was the fourth top level cabinet minister to visit China in the past four months, ending more than two years of benign neglect of the emerging super power by Ottawa. Robert Martin, the managing director of the Asia division of BMO Financial Group, based in Shanghai, had nothing but praise for Flaherty’s six-day foray in China. The minister “demonstrated with his feet the importance of the Canada-China relations,” Martin said. The banker added: “We have had four wonderful visits and I think now we are on the right track. “(Canada) needed a constructive engagement with China. Many things we agree on, many things we don’t agree on, but we needed to be talking and to be in front of each other. That’s how friends get along.” Martin said he now feltCanada was “out of the wilderness” in China. Flaherty, who led a delegation of regulators, bankers and insurance executives to China, told the audience at a business luncheon on the 93rd floor of one of Shanghai’s spectacular towers that he judged his trip to be a success. He said Chinese officials greeted him with “direct conversations and plain speaking,” making sure their meetings were productive. He also praised his Chinese counterparts for how well-versed they were on Canada and Canadian business. In Beijing, Flaherty met with vice-premier and heir-presumptive to the Chinese presidency, Li Keqiang. He said he was “honoured” to meet the man who will likely succeed President Hu Jintao in 2012. It was the prime minister’s outspoken criticism of China’s human rights record that first soured relations between Ottawa and Beijing, but there was no chance of those kind of “red-flag” issues spoiling Flaherty’s visit this week. The minister made it clear he considered the sorry state of the world’s economy dictated that finance and economics were at the top of his agenda, not politics. He said there were “no discussions” about the myriad of problems that have plagued the bilateral relationship. He said he did raise “one or two irritants,” but they were more in the way of consular issues. “These were asides,” he said, “not major issues.” Canada's oil patch open for Chinese business. Calgary Herald, Aug 10, 2009 Finance Minister Jim Flaherty rolled out the welcome mat for Chinese investment in the Canadian energy sector Monday, saying this country’s foreign-investment rules pose little hindrance to the growth of a Chinese presence. Mr. Flaherty, in Beijing to give Canadian corporate interests a boost in the region, said China is flush with U.S. dollars reserves and is looking to spend it in the “emerging energy superpower” that is Canada. In meetings with Chinese Vice-Premier Li Keqiang and Chinese Finance Minister Xie Xuren, Mr. Flaherty said neither indicated concerns Canada’s foreign-investments regulatory framework would hinder Chinese business interests. “They did not express any concerns,” said Mr. Flaherty. “We are encouraging Chinese foreign direct investment in Canada . . . so long as there is compliance with the governance concern and other rules that we have with Investment Canada.” China has recently expressed concernover its difficulty in establishing a presence in Canada’s energy sector. “China has a great need for natural resources,” said Mr. Flaherty, during a conference call with reporters. “Over time, we will see more investment by Chinese businesses in Canada and, over time, we will see growth by our financial institutions in this market (China).” Mr. Flaherty was accompanied by a high-powered Canadian coterie of financial and corporate leaders, including Mark Carney, governor of the Bank of Canada, along with senior executives from Canadian banks, major insurance firms and the Toronto Stock Exchange. The state of the global recession and efforts by governments to re-energize their respective economies dominated much of the discussions, said Mr. Flaherty. “We agreed it is important that the other countries in the G20 keep their commitments that provide stimulus to their economies,” said Mr. Flaherty. Carney is scheduled to deliver a speech Wednesday to the Canadian Financial Forum in Beijing on how the Canadian model could be used to build a “resilient financial system.” Mr. Flaherty said his second trip to Beijing was aimed primarily at promoting Canadian corporate interests in China, and to also to entice more Chinese investment into Canada. While China has been making deals with energy rich countries around the world like Iran and Venezuela, it has failed make any serious inroads into the Canadian energy sector. In a speech delivered in Geneva on May 4, an official with state-owned China National Petroleum Corp called for a strategic alliance between China and Canada to create an energy corridor hooking energy-rich Western Canada into energy-starved China. “The opportunity is there. The question is action. China is prepared for the future and we see the potential Sino-Canadian relationship as a tangible, long-term, mutually beneficial strategy,” the official said during a forum attended by Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach. But Chinese interests have been stymied by regulatory, political and private-sector obstacles. The high price of developing the oil sands has been a concern for China, which wants to bring in their own cheap labour to offset costs. Chinese firms have also encountered energy players reluctant to enter into major joint ventures. An undercurrent of political hostility also exists toward a large Chinese business presence in the Canadian energy sector.
Chinese Ambassador to Canada Cong Peiwu poses for a portrait at the Embassy of China in Ottawa on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. 
Canada giving ownership of oil sands to Communist China (treasonous gov't dealing nation's natural resources), National Post, May 7, 2011
Canada urges Red China buy energy sector (top politicians & bankers entice top communists...China bring own cheap labour to offset costs). National Post, Aug 11, 2009
Canada giving ownership of oil sands to Communist China (treasonous gov't dealing nation's natural resources), National Post, May 7, 2011
Canada urges Red China buy energy sector (top politicians & bankers entice top communists...China bring own cheap labour to offset costs). National Post, Aug 11, 2009