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Chinese rules on tourism leave Canada in the cold
GEOFFREY YORK
BEIJING -- On the 27th floor of a Beijing office tower, a life-size cardboard Mountie stands at attention, greeting everyone with a cheerful salute. But these days, there are few visitors to greet.
The red-painted Mountie stands at the entrance of the Beijing headquarters of the Canadian Tourism Commission, which tries to lure Chinese tourists to visit Canada. It's potentially a multibillion-dollar industry for Canada, since Chinese tourists are among the biggest spenders of any tourists in the world.
Yet in a typical week, only 10 to 15 people visit the office. After seven years of failed negotiations, Canada still doesn't have the right to advertise itself as a tourism destination in one of the world's most lucrative tourism markets.
Canadian diplomats have struggled to bring China back to the negotiating table. They have sent faxes and hand-delivered messages. But eight months have passed without a single meeting.
"The Chinese are simply not negotiating with us," said Ken Lewis, the senior diplomat in charge of commercial matters at the Canadian embassy in Beijing. "We send them faxes and notes, asking when we can have another session, but we get no response. That means the negotiations are effectively suspended."
The tourism stalemate is just the latest example of the tensions and irritants that bedevil Canada's relationship with the world's most populous country.
But Ottawa has failed to send a senior cabinet minister to Beijing to sort out the problems. After half a year in office, Stephen Harper's Conservatives have allowed Canada's relationship with China to drift into uncertainty and disarray.
There is talk of a possible visit to Beijing next month by International Trade Minister David Emerson, but it remains unconfirmed. Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay has travelled to many countries, including the war-torn streets of Afghanistan, but he has not found time to visit one of Canada's most crucial trading partners.
Beijing did get a visit from Colin Hansen, a cabinet minister in B.C. who has responsibility for Asia-Pacific affairs. He promised to raise the tourism issue at every possible opportunity during his May visit, but failed to break the impasse.
Within weeks of taking office, the Conservatives got off to a rocky start in their relations with China when Mr. MacKay said he was "very concerned" about alleged espionage by Chinese agents in Canada. Beijing denied the accusations.
Since then, the relationship has continued to deteriorate. Beijing was furious that Canada gave honorary citizenship to the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, despite China's belief that he is a dangerous separatist. Beijing is also angry that Canada refuses to surrender China's most wanted international fugitive, Lai Changxing, who is charged with smuggling and has remained in Vancouver while pursuing his refugee claim in the courts.
The Harper government, for its part, has heightened the conflict with Beijing by taking a stronger line on human-rights issues and by demanding access to Huseyincan Celil, a Canadian citizen who is being held incommunicado in a Chinese cell on terrorism charges.
None of this has dampened the level of trade between Canada and China, which chugs along at an impressive rate. But it does have a negative effect on government-to-government issues such as the tourism deal. By refusing to negotiate the accord, China is causing heavy damage to Canada's tourism industry, which is hoping to receive up to 700,000 annual tourists from China, each spending an average of $1,800 on hotels and shopping in Canada.
Within the next seven years, Chinese tourists are projected to be making 120 million foreign trips per year -- a huge market for countries such as Canada that have traditionally had a good image in China.
Back in 1999, when negotiations began, Canada was at the front of the race for the tourist business. Canada was one of the first Western countries to seek an "Approved Destination Status" agreement. An accord would clear the way for Chinese tourist agencies to send groups of tourists to Canada, and it would allow Canada to advertise itself in China as a tourist destination.
But the negotiations were shelved as Beijing expressed its quiet fury at Canada's refusal to extradite Mr. Lai to China. Today, more than 80 countries have reached an ADS agreement with China, yet Canada is still frozen out.
"We can't do direct-consumer advertising," said Derek Galpin, managing director of the tourism commission's China operations. "We're operating with one hand tied behind our back."
Despite the failed negotiations, the number of Chinese tourists to Canada has expanded significantly in recent years, including a 25-per-cent rise in the first five months of this year. But if a tourism agreement had been reached, Mr. Galpin said, the increase would be 10 percentage points higher this year.
GEOFFREY YORK
BEIJING -- On the 27th floor of a Beijing office tower, a life-size cardboard Mountie stands at attention, greeting everyone with a cheerful salute. But these days, there are few visitors to greet.
The red-painted Mountie stands at the entrance of the Beijing headquarters of the Canadian Tourism Commission, which tries to lure Chinese tourists to visit Canada. It's potentially a multibillion-dollar industry for Canada, since Chinese tourists are among the biggest spenders of any tourists in the world.
Yet in a typical week, only 10 to 15 people visit the office. After seven years of failed negotiations, Canada still doesn't have the right to advertise itself as a tourism destination in one of the world's most lucrative tourism markets.
Canadian diplomats have struggled to bring China back to the negotiating table. They have sent faxes and hand-delivered messages. But eight months have passed without a single meeting.
"The Chinese are simply not negotiating with us," said Ken Lewis, the senior diplomat in charge of commercial matters at the Canadian embassy in Beijing. "We send them faxes and notes, asking when we can have another session, but we get no response. That means the negotiations are effectively suspended."
The tourism stalemate is just the latest example of the tensions and irritants that bedevil Canada's relationship with the world's most populous country.
But Ottawa has failed to send a senior cabinet minister to Beijing to sort out the problems. After half a year in office, Stephen Harper's Conservatives have allowed Canada's relationship with China to drift into uncertainty and disarray.
There is talk of a possible visit to Beijing next month by International Trade Minister David Emerson, but it remains unconfirmed. Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay has travelled to many countries, including the war-torn streets of Afghanistan, but he has not found time to visit one of Canada's most crucial trading partners.
Beijing did get a visit from Colin Hansen, a cabinet minister in B.C. who has responsibility for Asia-Pacific affairs. He promised to raise the tourism issue at every possible opportunity during his May visit, but failed to break the impasse.
Within weeks of taking office, the Conservatives got off to a rocky start in their relations with China when Mr. MacKay said he was "very concerned" about alleged espionage by Chinese agents in Canada. Beijing denied the accusations.
Since then, the relationship has continued to deteriorate. Beijing was furious that Canada gave honorary citizenship to the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, despite China's belief that he is a dangerous separatist. Beijing is also angry that Canada refuses to surrender China's most wanted international fugitive, Lai Changxing, who is charged with smuggling and has remained in Vancouver while pursuing his refugee claim in the courts.
The Harper government, for its part, has heightened the conflict with Beijing by taking a stronger line on human-rights issues and by demanding access to Huseyincan Celil, a Canadian citizen who is being held incommunicado in a Chinese cell on terrorism charges.
None of this has dampened the level of trade between Canada and China, which chugs along at an impressive rate. But it does have a negative effect on government-to-government issues such as the tourism deal. By refusing to negotiate the accord, China is causing heavy damage to Canada's tourism industry, which is hoping to receive up to 700,000 annual tourists from China, each spending an average of $1,800 on hotels and shopping in Canada.
Within the next seven years, Chinese tourists are projected to be making 120 million foreign trips per year -- a huge market for countries such as Canada that have traditionally had a good image in China.
Back in 1999, when negotiations began, Canada was at the front of the race for the tourist business. Canada was one of the first Western countries to seek an "Approved Destination Status" agreement. An accord would clear the way for Chinese tourist agencies to send groups of tourists to Canada, and it would allow Canada to advertise itself in China as a tourist destination.
But the negotiations were shelved as Beijing expressed its quiet fury at Canada's refusal to extradite Mr. Lai to China. Today, more than 80 countries have reached an ADS agreement with China, yet Canada is still frozen out.
"We can't do direct-consumer advertising," said Derek Galpin, managing director of the tourism commission's China operations. "We're operating with one hand tied behind our back."
Despite the failed negotiations, the number of Chinese tourists to Canada has expanded significantly in recent years, including a 25-per-cent rise in the first five months of this year. But if a tourism agreement had been reached, Mr. Galpin said, the increase would be 10 percentage points higher this year.