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| Great White North | |
| Harper to visit China next month | |
| 2012-01-16 | |
Business leaders and political observers say the China trip is important for future trade deals, demonstrates a warming in Sino-Canadian relations and could allow Harper to meet with the new, incoming Chinese leadership. The prime minister is slated to meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao during his visit, which initially was being planned for last fall. "Our government is committed to moving our relationship with China forward by focusing on deepening economic ties, including opening new markets, and setting the foundation for long-term growth," Harper said in a statement. Ambassador Zhang noted it will be Harper's second trip to China, and another signal that bilateral relations are improving. China is Canada's second-largest trading partner, behind only the United States, and a key customer for Canadian natural resources and agricultural products. State-owned Chinese oil and gas companies already have invested billions of dollars in Alberta's oilsands to help feed the country's insatiable energy appetite. The Harper government is looking to increase petroleum exports to China, but those hopes are very much pinned on the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline project currently under review by the National Energy Board. Public hearings began this week on the pipeline, which would ship oilsands bitumen from northern Alberta to a marine facility in Kitimat, B.C., where oil would be loaded onto tankers for export to Asia. On the whole, bilateral trade with China has tripled since 2001, totalling nearly $58 billion in 2010. Canada also has been negotiating a foreign investment and protection agreement with China, which the government expects will increase two-way trade. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #6 TOPIX > HARPER SAYS CANADA WON'T BE THE UNITED STATES' NORTHERN "GIANT NATIONAL PARK". Uh oh, the Mackenzies are on to us. At the rate Russia is going as per its Far East [RFE], Canada prolly has a better chance of becom future "Chinese Siberia/Yakutia in North America" than "Russia in North America". |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2012-01-17 00:00 |
| #5 We like and respect our norther cousins, Northern Cousin. And while we are annoyed with our president for, among other things, jerking y'all around with this pipeline thing, there is no reason your prosperity should be held hostage to his malignancy along with our own. After all, your majority voted in Harper, while ours chose Obama. Hopefully this next election we'll catch up. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2012-01-16 17:48 |
| #4 The oilsands can easily support pipelines to the west coast (and to China) as well as to Texas. Its not a case of either or, or in anyway a pressure tactic on the US. Its good business sense to create transportation systems to expand markets. Thats all. What is interesting is that Keystone will create jobs in the US, not so much in Canada (as the lines are already built)and will help Texas refineries which are currently operating well under their capacities. Now if we thought like some other nations, we wouldnt bother,and would just build more refineries in Canada and then sell the final products. Hmmmmm. Perhaps having Canada as a neighbour is a good thing. No matter what party in the States you vote for. |
| Posted by: Northern Cousin 2012-01-16 15:03 |
| #3 Map of North American pipelines just for perspective. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2012-01-16 10:01 |
| #2 Native Canadian opposition to the Pacific offloading port location stands to be a significant obstacle to the Chinese alternative. Could shift the US line routing off the aquifer/wetlands area that has been the focus of the US objections, but that would add costs, years of new studies and delays, and no doubt some new excuses as to why it mustn't be done. It's all excuses. "Energy prices must necessarily skyrocket." Among other reasons, because otherwise the Green boondoggles are way too expensive to compete. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2012-01-16 09:20 |
| #1 obama is such a wreck for the us...anything to create jobs here -- especially tied to oil --- must be denied we cannot afford another 4 years |
| Posted by: dan 2012-01-16 07:35 |
