Oct 24, 2022: Conference recording from “HardTalk: Canada and the Asia Pacific”
On October 24, Canada-China Focus and Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs hosted the conference Hardtalk: Canada and the Asia Pacific Conference. This one-day, in person conference brought together diverse and anti-racist voices seeking an independent and inclusive foreign policy for Canada, one that considers innovative agendas for peace and justice in Asia Pacific.
Topics of discussion included Canada-China relations, anti-Asian racism, Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, rethinking Canadian foreign policy, and evaluating Canada’s past and probable future approaches to its relations with Asia Pacific nations.
April 26, 2022: “Worker and Union Solidarity with China: Why and How?” Featuring Kent Wong
Solidarity exchanges between trade unions in China, Canada and US were put on hold by COVID. At the same time economic and geo-political conflicts between nations have created new challenges to workers and unions. This webinar explores the value of worker-to-worker relationships despite those conflicts — indeed, made more important in a climate of anti-Asian racism and protectionism.
Moderated by Joey Hartman, past president, Vancouver and District Labour Council & Xinying Hu, SFU Labour Studies Program.
Feb 4, 2022: Canada at a Crossroads on China: “Work Together of Perish Together”, featuring Noam Chomsky
In aiming to “develop and launch a comprehensive Indo-Pacific strategy” and strengthening ties to the US, the Trudeau government has signalled its intent to join US-led war preparations in the Asia Pacific and provoke China. Join world-renowned linguist and lifetime anti-war activist Noam Chomsky in a webinar to consider the pitfalls of closer alignment with the US empire, and why diplomacy and working with China are the only option to meet the global challenges ahead. Either “Work Together or Perish Together”.
One of the most cited scholars alive, Noam Chomsky is considered a founder of modern linguistics and has published over 100 books, including his recent “Requiem for the American Dream.” Noam Chomsky has been an anti-war, anti-capitalist activist for over 60 years and continues to call to account liberal elites for propping up inherently unjust systems that have brought us to the brink of climate catastrophe and nuclear annihilation. Noam Chomsky taught linguistics at MIT from 1955 to 2017 and is currently a laureate professor of linguistics at the University of Arizona.
Nov 17, 2021: “Beyond Sinophobia & Anti-Asian Racism in Canada-China Relations”
The deterioration in Canada-China relations in the past few years has seen an escalation in attacks on those who dissent from the growing trend to demonize China. This is not the first time this has happened. In the 1960s, Professor Paul Lin faced systemic harassment when he advocated for the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Canada. This on-line webinar explores anti-Asian racism and the many dimensions of Canada-China relations, past and present. FEATURING:
- Senator Yuen Pau Woo, facilitator of the Independent Senators Group, Canadian Parliament
- Dr. Xiaobei Chen, Professor and Associate Chair, Sociology/Anthropology, Carleton University
- Dr. Timothy J. Stanley, professor emeritus, University of Ottawa
The Paul and Eileen Lin Commemorative Lecture
Moderated by Bianca Mugyenyi, CFPI
Presented by Canada-China Focus in collaboration with the Chinese Canadian Historical Society of British Columbia