China

To Understand China’s Aggressive Foreign Policy, Look at Its Domestic Politics
- October 21, 2020
In the past six months, Chinese foreign policy appears to have taken a dramatic and aggressive turn. China has lashed out at Australia for questioning its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, bolstered its claims in the South China Sea, stepped …
By Christopher Bishop
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Ruffled Feathers: Why Chinese Interference in International Bird Conservation is a Threat to World Peace
- September 30, 2020
The ejection of Taiwan’s Chinese Wild Bird Federation (CWBF) from BirdLife International and the subsequent gag order asking BirdLife employees to refrain from speaking to the press may appear at first glance to be the smallest of China’s many micro-aggressions, …
By Scott Simon
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Farewell “Mister Democracy”: Lee Teng-hui, 1923-2020
- August 7, 2020
The Taiwanese mourn their former president Lee Teng-hui, who died at the age of 97 this July 30. Lauded as “Mr. Democracy” by his fellow citizens, he stood among those extremely rare politicians. They, like Mikhail Gorbachev, were trained in …
By André Laliberté
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Claims for Reparations, Politics and COVID-19
- July 1, 2020
Recent weeks have witnessed growing international concerns over China’s role in the origins of the Coronavirus pandemic. While Australia and Germany ask for an international investigation of what went wrong, the United States has accused China of its failure to …
By Hélène Pellerin
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Can Canada Win a UN Security Council Seat?
- June 15, 2020
On June 17, 2020, Canada will seek election to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as one of the ten non-permanent members. If successful, Canada will serve as one of five countries elected this year for a two-year term ending …
By Caroline Dunton
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Self-Determination at a Turning Point: Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Indigenous Nations of Formosa
- June 2, 2020
May 2020 was a turning point in East Asia. President Tsai Ing-wen (Democratic Progressive Party, DPP) was inaugurated to her second term as President of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Two days later, China’s National People’s Congress proposed legislation authorizing …
By Scott Simon
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COVID-19 Forces a Rethink of an Old Debate
- May 18, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as a test of the preparedness of countries’ public health and governance systems. As countries diverge in their strategies to fight the epidemic, we have more and more opportunities for learning about what works and …
By Begench Yazlyyev and Lauchlan T. Munro
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Time to Get the Two Michaels Home
- April 10, 2020
The advent of the COVID19 pandemic puts fresh pressure on the Canadian government to end the impasse that continues to hold two Canadians imprisoned as hostages in a Chinese jail. Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor have now been in prison …
By Daniel Livermore
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Le Canada et la Chine: une relation normale?
- March 22, 2020
Le gouvernement canadien planche depuis plus d’un an sur la façon de gérer la relation du Canada avec la Chine. C’est une réflexion salutaire si ce n’est qu’elle est obérée par une situation exceptionnelle, à savoir, l’affaire Meng Wanzhou, directrice …
By Ferry de Kerckhove
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The Coronavirus Crisis: The De Facto Quarantine of Taiwan
- February 13, 2020
The risk of a global pandemic coming from China is attracting a lot of attention, but it is important to avoid giving way to hysteria. Canada and the international community should stand firm in support of Taiwanese rights to participate …
By André Laliberté
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An Unequivocal Victory for President Tsai in Taiwan
- January 29, 2020
The re-election of Tsai Ying-wen to the Presidency of Taiwan this last January 11 represents a rare shining moment in the Indo-Pacific region, as populist leaders ruling India and the Philippines preside over a deterioration of democracy in the region. …
By André Laliberté
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Fortress of Democracy: Taiwan’s Election Deserves Strong International Support
- January 20, 2020
After a fierce electoral campaign, 19 million voters in Taiwan woke up on January 11, 2020, with important choices to make in their country’s presidential and legislative election.

The voting itself is very local. Polling stations, one for every 1500 …
By Scott Simon
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