Prime Minister Stephen Harper Goes to China and Canada's Enemies

8/3/2019 Prime Minister Stephen Harper Goes to China and Canada's Enemies

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PRIMEMINISTERSTEPHENHARPERsTRIPTOCHINAANDCANADASENEMIES

DonCurrie,EditorFocusOnSocialism,ChairCPSJanuary11,2012

www.FocusOnSocialism.ca


2/8

www.FocusOnSocialism.ca PMHarpersTriptoChinaandCanadasEnemies Page2of8

PrimeMinisterStephenHarperwillvisitChinanextmonthpromotingthesaleofCanadianoil

to China and according tomedia reports, seekingmore Chinese investment in Canadian

energyprojects.

Harper

will

also

be

seeking

to

advance

the

governments

plan

to

join

the

US

backedAsiaPacificfreetradeagreementknownastheTransPacificPartnership.1

The media speculates that the trip represents a change in the Harper Governments

heretofore hostile attitude to China.During the January 2006 federal election campaign,

desperate to garner all rightwing anticommunist voters available, Harper on several

occasionsdenouncedChinashumanrightsrecordimplyingthatitmustchangebeforehe

wouldvisitandChinaCanadianrelationscouldimprove.

AssoonasheachievedaParliamentarymajoritytherhetoriccooledanddiplomaticchannels

betweenCanada

and

China

began

to

open

up.

DoesthiscoolingofrhetoricrepresentachangeintheHarperGovernmentsstrategicview

ofChinaandthestruggleunderwayforUSdominanceoverrivalsintheAsianPacificregion?

OnDecember07,2011standingnexttoPresidentObamaannouncinganewbordersecurity

dealbetweenCanadaandtheUSAthePrimeMinistersaid:

WhatthreatensthesecurityandwellbeingoftheUnitedStatesthreatensthesecurityand

wellbeingofCanadaCanadahasnofriendsamongAmerica'senemies.2

Onewonders

why

some

journalist

or

opposition

member

of

Parliament

not

asked

the

Prime

Ministerashe headsforChinainFebruary;isChinaanenemyorfriendoftheUSA?

Harpers statement in Washington regarding Canadas friends and enemies has to be

considered in the lightofwhat theUSA issayingabout friendsandenemies in theAsian

Pacific.

HereiswhatPresidentObamasaidtotheAustralianParliamentlastNovemberregardingUS

strategicaimsintheAsianPacificregionthatcontainedspecificreferencetoChina.Infactit

wouldnotbeanexaggerationtoconsiderthespeechastatementofUSpolicyintheregion

regardingtheriseofChina:PresidentObamasaid:

1http://www.international.gc.ca/tradeagreementsaccordscommerciaux/agracc/tppptp.aspx?lang=eng&view=d2http://www.edmontonjournal.com/business/Obama+Harper+unveil+accord+border+security/5828712/story.html
http://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/tpp-ptp.aspx?lang=eng&view=dhttp://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/tpp-ptp.aspx?lang=eng&view=dhttp://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/tpp-ptp.aspx?lang=eng&view=dhttp://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/tpp-ptp.aspx?lang=eng&view=dhttp://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/tpp-ptp.aspx?lang=eng&view=dhttp://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/tpp-ptp.aspx?lang=eng&view=dhttp://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/tpp-ptp.aspx?lang=eng&view=dhttp://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/tpp-ptp.aspx?lang=eng&view=dhttp://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/tpp-ptp.aspx?lang=eng&view=dhttp://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/tpp-ptp.aspx?lang=eng&view=dhttp://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/tpp-ptp.aspx?lang=eng&view=dhttp://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/tpp-ptp.aspx?lang=eng&view=dhttp://www.edmontonjournal.com/business/Obama+Harper+unveil+accord+border+security/5828712/story.htmlhttp://www.edmontonjournal.com/business/Obama+Harper+unveil+accord+border+security/5828712/story.htmlhttp://www.edmontonjournal.com/business/Obama+Harper+unveil+accord+border+security/5828712/story.htmlhttp://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/tpp-ptp.aspx?lang=eng&view=d


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AsPresident, Ihave thereforemadeadeliberateand strategicdecision asaPacific

nation,theUnitedStateswillplayalargerandlongtermroleinshapingthisregionand

itsfuture,

by

upholding

core

principles

and

in

close

partnership

with

allies

and

friends.

Letmetellyouwhatthismeans.

First,weseeksecurity,whichisthefoundationofpeaceandprosperity.Westandfor

an internationalorder inwhichtherightsandresponsibilitiesofallnationsandpeople

are upheld.Where international law and norms are enforced.Where commerce and

freedomofnavigationarenotimpeded.Whereemergingpowerscontributetoregional

security,andwheredisagreementsareresolvedpeacefully.

That

is

the

future

we

seek.

Now,IknowthatsomeinthisregionhavewonderedaboutAmerica'scommitmentto

upholdingtheseprinciples.Soletmeaddressthisdirectly.

AstheUnitedStatesputsourfiscalhouseinorder,wearereducingourspending.And

yes, after 'a decade of extraordinary growth in our military budgets and as we

definitivelyendthewarinIraq,andbegintowinddownthewarinAfghanistan wewill

makesomereductionsindefencespending.

As we consider the future of our armed forces, we have begun a review that will

identifyour

most

important

strategic

interests

and

guide

our

defence

priorities

and

spendingoverthecomingdecade.

Sohereiswhatthisregionmustknow.

As we end today's wars, I have directed my national security team to make our

presence and mission in theAsia Pacific a top priority.As a result, reductions inUS

defencespendingwillnot Irepeat,willnot comeattheexpenseoftheAsiaPacific.

Myguidanceisclear.

As we plan and budget for the future, we will allocate the resources necessary to

maintainourstrongmilitarypresenceinthisregion.

Wewillpreserveouruniqueabilitytoprojectpoweranddeterthreatstopeace.We

willkeepourcommitments,includingourtreatyobligationstoallieslikeAustralia.


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And we will constantly strengthen our capabilities to meet the needs of the 21st

century. Our enduring interests in the region demand our enduring presence in this

region.

TheUnitedStatesisaPacificpower,andweareheretostay.

Indeed,we'realreadymodernisingAmerica'sdefencepostureacrosstheAsiaPacific.

Itwillbemorebroadlydistributed maintainingourstrongpresence inJapanandon

theKoreanpeninsula,whileenhancingourpresenceinSoutheastAsia.

Ourposturewillbemoreflexible withnewcapabilitiestoensurethatourforcescan

operatefreely.Andourposturewillbemoresustainable byhelpingalliesandpartners

buildtheir

capacity,

with

more

training

and

exercises.

WeseeournewposturehereinAustralia.

The initiatives thatthePrimeMinisterand Iannouncedyesterdaywillbringourtwo

militaries even closer. We'll have new opportunities to train with other allies and

partners,fromthePacifictotheIndianOcean.

And it will allow us to respond faster to the full range of challenges, including

humanitariancrisesanddisasterrelief.

Since World War II,Australians have warmly welcomedAmerican service members

who'vepassedthrough.

Onbehalfof theAmericanpeople, I thank you forwelcoming thosewhowill come

next,astheyensurethatouralliancestaysstrongandreadyforthetestsofourtime.

WeseeAmerica'senhancedpresenceintheallianceswe'vestrengthened.

InJapan,whereouralliance remainsa cornerstoneof regional security. InThailand,

wherewe'repartneringfordisasterrelief.

InthePhilippines,wherewe'reincreasingshipvisitsandtraining.AndinSouthKorea,

whereourcommitmenttothesecurityoftheRepublicofKoreawillneverwaver.

Indeed,wealsoreiterateourresolvetoactfirmlyagainstanyproliferationactivitiesby

NorthKorea.


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The transferofnuclearmaterialsormaterialbyNorthKorea to statesornonstate

entitieswouldbeconsideredagravethreattotheUnitedStatesandourallies.

AndwewouldholdNorthKoreafullyaccountablefortheconsequencesofsuchaction.

WeseeAmerica'senhancedpresenceacrossSoutheastAsia.

In our partnership with Indonesia against piracy and violent extremism, and in our

workwithMalaysiatopreventproliferation.

Intheshipswe'lldeploytoSingapore,andinourclosercooperationwithVietnamand

Cambodia.And inourwelcomeof Indiaas it"lookseast"andplaysa largerroleasan

Asianpower.

Atthesametime,we'rereengagedwithregionalorganisations.

OurworkinBalithisweekwillmarkmythirdmeetingwithASEANleaders,andI'llbe

proudtobethefirstAmericanpresidenttoattendtheEastAsiaSummit.

Together, I believe we can address shared challenges, such as proliferation and

maritimesecurity,includingcooperationintheSouthChinaSea.

Meanwhile, the United States will continue our effort to build a cooperative

relationshipwithChina.

Allofournations Australia, theUnitedStates,allofournations haveaprofound

interestintheriseofapeacefulandprosperousChinaandthatiswhytheUnitedStates

welcomesit.

We've seen that China can be a partner, from reducing tensions on the Korean

Peninsulatopreventingproliferation.

And we'll seek more opportunities for cooperation with Beijing, includinggreater

communication between our militaries to promote understanding and avoid

miscalculation.

Wewilldothis,evenascontinuetospeakcandidlytoBeijingabouttheimportanceof

upholdinginternationalnormsandrespectingtheuniversalhumanrightsoftheChinese

people.


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AsecureandpeacefulAsia isthefoundationforthesecondarea inwhichAmerica is

leadingagain andthat'sadvancingoursharedprosperity.

History teachesus thegreatest force theworldhaseverknown for creatingwealth

andopportunityisfreemarkets.

Soweseekeconomiesthatareopenandtransparent.

We seek trade that is free and fair.And we seek an open international economic

system,whererulesareclearandeverynationplaysbythem.

InAustraliaandAmerica,weunderstandtheseprinciples.We'reamongthemostopen

economiesonearth.

Sixyearsintoourlandmarktradeagreement,commercebetweenushassoared.

Our workers are creating new partnerships and new products, like the advanced

aircrafttechnologieswebuildtogetherinVictoria.

We'retheleadinginvestorinAustralia,andyouinvestmoreinAmericathanyoudoin

anyothernation,creatinggoodjobsinbothcountries.

We recognise that economicpartnerships can'tjustbe aboutonenation extracting

another'sresources.

Weunderstandthatnolongtermstrategyforgrowthcanbeimposedfromabove.

Real prosperity prosperity that fosters innovation and prosperity that endures

comesfromunleashingourgreatesteconomicresourceandthat'stheentrepreneurial

spirit,thetalentsofourpeople.

So even as America competes aggressively in Asian markets, we're forging the

economicpartnershipsthatcreateopportunityforall.

Buildingon

our

historic

trade

agreement

with

South

Korea,

we're

working

with

AustraliaandourotherAPECpartnerstocreateaseamlessregionaleconomy.


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AndwithAustraliaandotherpartners,we'reontracktoachieveourmostambitious

trade agreement yet, and a potential model for the entire regionthe TransPacific

Partnership.3

WehavedeliberatelyquotedPresidentObamas speechat lengthbecause itneeds tobe

carefully studiedas it isa frank statementof the intentionof theUS tobuildupa larger

military presence in the whole region, including provocatively in the South China Sea

adjacentChinasterritorialwaters.

Sincemakingthespeech,theUSmilitarypresence intheregionhasbeengrowingandUS

think tanks arebeginning todevelop a full rangeof arguments as towhy theUSAmust

increaseitsmilitarypresenceintheintheAsianPacificregion.Chinahasprotestedoverthe

USbuildup

near

Taiwan

and

China

and

Vietnam

and

predictably

has

increased

its

naval

defensesinSouthChinaSea.4

WhatisimportanttonoteinHarpersintentiontoseekCanadianmembershipintheTrans

Pacific Partnership Agreement is that China is excluded. The agreement is headed for

finalizationbytheendof2012.Canadianmembershipinatradingpartnership,dominatedby

theUSAinwhichChinaisexcludedwillbeviewedbyChinawithsuspicionandskepticism.

CanadianshavealwayshadfriendlyandcordialrelationswithChina.Canadawasamongthe

first NATO states to recognize China and has benefited greatly over the decades from

improvedtrade.

One

wonders

as

the

Prime

Minister

sits

down

with

the

leaders

of

China

how

hewillexplainhis support forUS strategicpolicy in theAsianPacificand inparticularhis

governments hostile stance toward the Democratic Peoples Republic of North Korea

(DPRK)andallyofChinaandaccordingtoPresidentObamaanenemyoftheUSA? Canada

imposedheavysanctionsonNorthKoreain2011.5

PrimeMinisterHarpersrhetoricaboutCanadahavingnofriendsamongtheenemiesofthe

USA is the kindofprovocativeand irresponsible statement thathas ledour country into

threeNATOwarsinthelasttwentytwoyearsandnowpossiblyotherswithIranandSyria.

ThePrime

Ministers

hyperbole

places

our

country

in

hostile

opposition

to

most

of

global

public opinion and innumerable governments and states that disapprove and resist US

3Readmore:http://www.smh.com.au/national/textofobamasspeechtoparliament201111171nkcw.html#ixzz1jCZoGbAo4http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/NA12Ad01.html5http://www.international.gc.ca/sanctions/koreacoree.aspx?lang=eng&view=d
http://www.smh.com.au/national/text-of-obamas-speech-to-parliament-20111117-1nkcw.html#ixzz1jCZoGbAohttp://www.smh.com.au/national/text-of-obamas-speech-to-parliament-20111117-1nkcw.html#ixzz1jCZoGbAohttp://www.smh.com.au/national/text-of-obamas-speech-to-parliament-20111117-1nkcw.html#ixzz1jCZoGbAohttp://www.smh.com.au/national/text-of-obamas-speech-to-parliament-20111117-1nkcw.html#ixzz1jCZoGbAohttp://www.smh.com.au/national/text-of-obamas-speech-to-parliament-20111117-1nkcw.html#ixzz1jCZoGbAohttp://www.smh.com.au/national/text-of-obamas-speech-to-parliament-20111117-1nkcw.html#ixzz1jCZoGbAohttp://www.smh.com.au/national/text-of-obamas-speech-to-parliament-20111117-1nkcw.html#ixzz1jCZoGbAohttp://www.smh.com.au/national/text-of-obamas-speech-to-parliament-20111117-1nkcw.html#ixzz1jCZoGbAohttp://www.smh.com.au/national/text-of-obamas-speech-to-parliament-20111117-1nkcw.html#ixzz1jCZoGbAohttp://www.smh.com.au/national/text-of-obamas-speech-to-parliament-20111117-1nkcw.html#ixzz1jCZoGbAohttp://www.smh.com.au/national/text-of-obamas-speech-to-parliament-20111117-1nkcw.html#ixzz1jCZoGbAohttp://www.smh.com.au/national/text-of-obamas-speech-to-parliament-20111117-1nkcw.html#ixzz1jCZoGbAohttp://www.smh.com.au/national/text-of-obamas-speech-to-parliament-20111117-1nkcw.html#ixzz1jCZoGbAohttp://www.smh.com.au/national/text-of-obamas-speech-to-parliament-20111117-1nkcw.html#ixzz1jCZoGbAohttp://www.smh.com.au/national/text-of-obamas-speech-to-parliament-20111117-1nkcw.html#ixzz1jCZoGbAohttp://www.smh.com.au/national/text-of-obamas-speech-to-parliament-20111117-1nkcw.html#ixzz1jCZoGbAohttp://www.smh.com.au/national/text-of-obamas-speech-to-parliament-20111117-1nkcw.html#ixzz1jCZoGbAohttp://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/NA12Ad01.htmlhttp://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/NA12Ad01.htmlhttp://www.international.gc.ca/sanctions/korea-coree.aspx?lang=eng&view=dhttp://www.international.gc.ca/sanctions/korea-coree.aspx?lang=eng&view=dhttp://www.international.gc.ca/sanctions/korea-coree.aspx?lang=eng&view=dhttp://www.international.gc.ca/sanctions/korea-coree.aspx?lang=eng&view=dhttp://www.international.gc.ca/sanctions/korea-coree.aspx?lang=eng&view=dhttp://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/NA12Ad01.htmlhttp://www.smh.com.au/national/text-of-obamas-speech-to-parliament-20111117-1nkcw.html#ixzz1jCZoGbAo


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imperialistglobalandmilitarystrategicgoals.ThePrimeMinisteriswrongandirresponsible

tomakesuchexaggeratedstatements.

Canada should not join the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement and develop its own

independent andmutuallybeneficial trade relationswith China irrespectiveof the global

strategicaimsoftheUSAintheAsianPacific.

TheUSA is provoking an imperialist confrontationwith China in the Asian Pacific and is

seekingalliesinthatpurpose.Canadashouldnotbepartofit.

Documents

Prime Minister Stephen Harper Goes to China and Canada's Enemies