Times Colonist

Trudeau departs China without a commitment on free-trade talks

- MIKE BLANCHFIEL­D

GUANGZHOU, China — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau departed China on Thursday without securing the start of free-trade talks with the world’s secondlarg­est economy, but said Canadians need to lower their expectatio­ns about how soon that will happen.

Trudeau said difference­s need to be addressed over how Canada deals with China’s state-owned enterprise­s. Separately, he also said he is committed to standing up for Canadian values in a “respectful way,” including protecting the interests of Canadians behind bars.

“Canadians should be under no illusions that a free-trade deal with China will be easy,” Trudeau told reporters before returning to Canada after a four-day visit.

Before agreeing to formally start talks, the government wants China to agree to a broad framework that will incorporat­e Canada’s trade agenda, which would formally place the environmen­t, labour, gender and governance issues on the bargaining table.

Trudeau acknowledg­ed that the two countries have a lot of work to do to “interface” their different systems in a way that is “mutually beneficial” — a phrase the Chinese are fond of using. He said the two countries have had good success in partnering on the environmen­t.

Trudeau said getting China to agree to other parts of his agenda isn’t an insurmount­able challenge.

“Trade has been an essential element in their success in lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and into the global middle class.”

Internatio­nal Trade Minister François-Philippe Champagne stayed behind in Beijing to continue discussion­s over the past two days while Trudeau travelled south to China’s industrial heartland to attend the Fortune Global Forum, a major gathering of internatio­nal chief executives.

Champagne was due to return to Canada on Thursday with Trudeau, leaving the trade discussion­s stalled at the explorator­y phase.

“There was good progress made and we expect that work to continue in the weeks ahead,” said his spokesman, Joe Pickerill.

Trudeau acknowledg­ed that difficult talks lie ahead in addressing concerns when Chinese state-owned companies try to buy Canadian firms.

The government faced criticism for allowing the takeover of Norsat by Chinesebas­ed Hytera Communicat­ions Co. Ltd. without a full national security review. Vancouver-based Norsat makes radio systems and transceive­rs used by the U.S. military and other NATO partners.

The Canadian government is now weighing a proposal by a Chinese firm to buy the Canadian constructi­on company, Aecon, which has been involved in such landmark projects as Toronto’s CN Tower.

“As a socialist economy, China has a significan­t role for public ownership of enterprise­s that is simply characteri­stic of their approach,” Trudeau said.

He said future discussion­s would “reflect on the challenges, the opportunit­ies, the advantages, the inconvenie­nce when two systems that are different try to collaborat­e so we can create benefits for both groups of citizens.”

Trudeau said he didn’t back down from raising consular cases in his meetings with Chinese leaders, including the detention of two B.C. winery owners involved in a customs dispute.

Trudeau said he pays closer attention to consular cases than past prime ministers — perhaps, he said, “because I spent a lot of time backpackin­g around the world when I was younger.”

The prime minister also reiterated his support for a free press when asked about a scathing Chinese newspaper editorial that chastised the media travelling with him for unfair coverage of their country.

But he demurred when asked what he thought of China banning access to websites such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others.

“In Canada, we have a different history, a different approach on a broad range of things,” Trudeau said.

 ?? SEAN KILPATRICK, THE CANADIAN PRESS ?? Prime Minister Justin Trudeau takes part in an eye-dotting ceremony to awaken the lion as he is given a tour of the Chen Clan Academy in Guangzhou, China, on Thursday.
SEAN KILPATRICK, THE CANADIAN PRESS Prime Minister Justin Trudeau takes part in an eye-dotting ceremony to awaken the lion as he is given a tour of the Chen Clan Academy in Guangzhou, China, on Thursday.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Canada