Could China Be the Answer to Canada’s Softwood Lumber Woes?

 When it comes to Canada’s softwood lumber market, 2017 has been anything but business as usual. Canada has long been in dispute with the United States concerning the sale of softwood lumber - as our southern neighbours argue that it undercuts the ability for American producers to compete, costing them

The Four Comprehensives

 In In February 2015, Chinese President and General Secretary Xi Jinping’s introduced China’s new ideological directive, the “Four Comprehensives.” Canadian analysts, policymakers, business people and multiple Canadian law firms with satellite offices in China representing a plethora of Canadian business interests are studying the ideological platform with interest. To implement his

Sustained and Steady Growth of the Chinese  

 Economy will Continue to Make a Significant Contribution to the Development of the World Economy In the first half of this year, despite continued slowdown in global growth, China’s GDP expanded by 6.7 percent, ranking among top of the world’s major economies. This growth rate was within the appropriate range

Let’s Seize the Opportunity for Greater Strides in China-Canada Trade

 By Luo Zhaohui Since China’s entry into the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in December 2001, China-Canada trade has grown markedly and is continuing its upward trend. Over at least the last decade, China has been Canada’s second largest trading partner and has emerged as Canada’s second biggest source of imports.

Correcting Misconceptions & Upholding Justice in the South China Sea

 With new discoveries of rich marine resources in the South China Sea around the 1970s, some   countries adjacent to the South China Sea region staged an illegal occupation of some of China’s Nansha Islands and remain there to this day. In the 1980s, despite some countries’ illegal encroachment and occupation of China’s islands, China demonstrated

Justina McCaffrey Joins the Ottawa Life Magazine Team as a Fashion Columnist

 Internationally renowned high fashion designer, speaker and writer, Justina McCaffrey, has joined the Ottawa Life Magazine team and will be sharing her expert advice on all things related to fashion and style with OLM readers over the next year. Justina McCaffrey stands with one of her gorgeous wedding gowns. “I

Remembering the Past to Look to the Future

 This year  holds  special  significance for the world, as it marks the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II and the creation of the United Nations as well as the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. In May, a special plenary

Learning about the Middle Kingdom with the Canada-China Friendship Society of Ottawa

 The  relationship  between  China and  Canada  is  complex.  For starters, China  is  Canada’s  second largest trading partner. Over 80,000 Chinese  students  are  studying  in Canada. Chinese visitors are the third largest group of tourists in Canada and more Canadians than ever are going to China to do business, work, study

Kazakhstan: A Land of Opportunity

 Photo credit: ninara on flickr What Canadians Can't Miss It’s raining reforms in Kazakhstan. The Kazakh government’s recent economic reforms are preparing the soil for better business conditions. More Canadians should be there, among other nations, seeding their business ideas on Kazakh lands. Since the beginning of this year, foreign

Stephen Harper’s Canada-China Relations: First Stalled… Then Evolved

 Canada-China relations have come a long way since Stephen Harper was first elected Prime Minister in 2006.After a decade of close cooperation with former Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and the Chinese government, Stephen Harper initially signaled his intention to take a less cordial stance toward China. He said his

Win-Win Cooperation

 Dan Donovan, Publisher of Ottawa Life Magazine, sat down to chat with Chinese Ambassador to Canada, Luo Zhaohui after his first year in Canada. OTTAWA LIFE: Ambassador Luo, you’ve been in Canada for one year now, what’s your impression of Canada? Ambassador: I have four general impressions. First, Canada is a

Toward a New Type of International Relations if Win-Win Cooperation

 Speech by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at Luncheon of the China Development Forum Beijing, March 23, 2015.   Seventy years ago, in the wake of victory of the world's antifascist war, nations on earth created an international order and a corresponding international system with the United Nations as the core

Kazakhstan Is Moving Ahead

 Above: Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, is one of the most successful and ambitious development projects in Central Asia. There is no question that the the global financial and economic crisis and difficult geopolitical situation that exists today has left few countries in the world unaffected. The recent collapse of oil prices has

What Really Stands Behind Eurasian Economic Union?

 Above: From left: President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev and President of Russia Vladimir Putin signed the Treaty of Eurasian Economic Union in Astana. The treaty came into force January 1, 2015. | Photo courtesy: Mikhail Klimentyev/RIA Novosti Media has paid little attention to the Eurasian Economic Union

The Sound of Strings: Stellae Boreales

 The Ottawa Suzuki Strings Music School has a vision to “create a music school that is internationally recognized for the quality of its pedagogy and the achievements of its students and faculty, resulting from a culture of innovation in training and development.” The Stella Boreales Violin Ensemble is a perfect testament to

U.S. and China: Capping Economic and Environmental Controversy

 The United States and China, which are liable for more than one-third of global greenhouse gas-emissions, have agreed to get a handle on pollution. But concerns of potential business restrictions, tax increases, job cuts and inefficiency in planning have created political controversy. The arguments focus on longevity, healthcare costs and sustaining

Wood in Weird Places

 Canada’s forests are beautiful and abundant. Our country has been the world leader of the forest industry and traditional forest products for decades. However, it is not often we stop and think about where Canada’s wood products end up. Most people think of forest products as mainly lumber, pulp and

Hong Kong The Canadian Trade Relationship

 Home to seven million people, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. A progressive centre for international business and finance, Hong Kong has ranked as the “World’s Freest Economy” for over a decade. One of Hong Kong’s chief trade relations is Canada, prompting a

Top of Investors’ Minds: The exponential rise in the price of gold.

 By Kash J. Pashootan Whether you’re an investor or on the sidelines watching the markets, Canadians want to know, seemingly more than ever, how global financial events impact their financial security. The underlying desire to understand the impact stems from the transition of our country’s demographics. Baby boomers, people born

Jim Watson’s mission: Reverse post-9/11 tourism slump

 Concerned about a "travel deficit" in Canada resulting from the combined impact of terrorist attacks and a stagnant economy in the United States, Jim Watson, president and CEO of the Canadian Tourism Commission, spoke to these concerns in a recent interview with Ottawa Life reporter Hank Reardon. An abridged version