| MPs say China ties help human rights |
|
MPs say China ties help human rights Some critics have suggested such ties compromise Canada's ability to hold China to account for its human rights abuses, but the MPs say that, in fact, the opposite is true. "My belief is that in life, whether it's in a personal friendship or in a government-to-government bilateral relationship, you have more influence when you have extended a hand of friendship," said Weston. "We have only increased our profile and our respect in the eyes of the Chinese. Through that increased respect, we will have greater influence on human rights." "When you engage the Chinese, they are much more open to listening than when you're confrontational," said Saxton. "The prime minister . . . did bring up human rights, and he was unwavering." The changes in our relationship to China, particularly the granting of approved destination status, will have direct benefits for the North Shore, said Saxton. That status means the Canadian tourism industry can advertise in China, and group tours to our country can be organized from there. "There's no question we're are going to see a lot more Chinese going up Grouse Mountain and crossing the Capilano Suspension Bridge as well," he said. "There will be more people coming across on the SeaBus to spend money in Lower Lonsdale in restaurants and shops and that sort of thing, so I think it's going to have a big benefit to North Vancouver." "We've got huge potential markets in Asia for our goods," Saxton said. "For example, homes in China are made out of bricks and mortar, but the roofs could potentially be made out of wood. That's British Columbia wood that could be used. . . . When you've got 1.4 billion people, that's a lot of roofs." The trip was also quite emotional at times, said Weston. They attended a number of events at which the delegation was greeted with great fanfare. "Perhaps the most poignant was . . . the service in honour of Canadians who had given their lives in the defence of Hong Kong in 1941," he said. "We stood in sunshine; we sang the Canadian and the Chinese anthems outside and in the presence of the granddaughter of a Victoria Cross winner . . . who had thrown himself on a grenade in that time." Saxton added, "There wasn't a dry eye in the whole place." The trip also afforded the MPs a chance to get up close and personal with the prime minister, they said. "We spent an hour at Anchorage airport on the way back yesterday sitting next to each other and chatting, and he also came into the cabin on the airplane and chatted with us on a number of occasions," said Saxton. "I had some very good one-on-one time with him." "He is way more personable than is generally recognized, and very funny and extremely bright and attentive to people's personal priorities," said Weston. "He's a very friendly, very nice man," said Saxton. © North Shore News 2009 |