By Cecilia Nasmith
As China's fortunes rise, many Canadians wonder if co-existence is possible.
It's a question local audiences can ponder in a more informed way, thanks to the Northumberland Learning Connection's June 9 visit from Canada's former ambassador to China Guy Saint-Jacques to look at Can We Co-exist With A Rising China.
It's a return visit. In 2018, the NLC hosted a series called The China Dream. On Nov. 1, he presented a look at A Not-So-Delicate Balance. At the time, that nation's unrivalled position in world trade and cybersecurity was offset the potential instability of a population that was subject to what some in the West considered human-rights abuses.
It was not long after that presentation that Huawei's Meng Wanzhou was arrested by Canadian authorities. Shortly after that, Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were arrested and detained in China.
Four years later, allegations of Chinese interference in Canadian elections and reports of its “limitless friendship” with Russia are troubling to many. In the face of this geopolitical conundrum, how does Canada navigate?
Find out more June 9 at the live NLC presentation at the Victoria Hall Concert Hall in Cobourg. Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. program are now on sale at $25 on the NLC website.
