Canada-China Focus: Occasional News Bulletin for Feb 16th
 
Canada-China Focus
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Canada/US-China in the News:
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Politico: Ford to build EV battery plant in Michigan, use Chinese tech

Published: February 13, 2023
Written by: Hannah Northey

"Ford Motor Co. announced Monday it will build a $3.5 billion electric vehicle battery plant in Michigan that uses Chinese technology, a move the company believes will bolster its ability to take advantage of President Joe Biden’s landmark climate law.
The deal between Ford and China-based Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd., or CATL, the world’s largest producer of lithium iron phosphate batteries, is landing in the Great Lakes state after Virginia Gov."

 

 

 

Vancouver Sun: Universities brace for Chinese students' return as Beijing orders them back to Canada

Published: February 11, 2023
Written by: Nono Shen for The Canadian Press

"Immigration data suggest tens of thousands of Chinese students in Canada may have returned to China during the pandemic. But now Canadian universities and officials say they are getting ready to welcome some back, after the Chinese government ordered students taking online classes with foreign universities to return to foreign campuses."
More Updates on China:

Bloomberg News: China’s Wind and Solar Are Now Almost Enough to Power Every Home

Published: February 14, 2023

"Wind and solar output jumped 21% last year to 1,190 terawatt-hours of electricity, the National Energy Administration said at a briefing on Monday. That’s not far off total residential power consumption of 1,340 terawatt-hours, the NEA said, which was a 14% increase on the prior year as more people spent time at home because of the government’s stringent virus restrictions."

 

 

 

Asian Pacific Foundation: Local Governments Take Aim at Workplace Gender Discrimination, but China Continues to Lag

Published: February 9, 2023

"A new local policy that supports gender equality legislation has sparked vigorous, nationwide debate on Chinese social media. The move by the Beijing municipal government, aimed at stamping out discrimination against women at work, has been largely welcomed, but critics say that it does not go far enough in addressing structural issues. Chinese authorities hope that stronger anti-discrimination provisions can encourage social progress, but many women have grown cynical, questioning if real change can truly be implemented from the ground up."
Historical Reflections:
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Published: February 14, 2023

"Honourable colleagues, 100 years ago in this chamber, senators voted to adopt the Chinese Immigration Act, 1923. This piece of legislation is better known as the “Chinese Exclusion Act” because it effectively prohibited the entry of ethnic Chinese to Canada for 24 years.
I am launching an inquiry to call attention to this stain on our institution, and to the profound hurt that it caused the Chinese Canadian community.  I invite all senators to contribute to the inquiry, which has two other parts to it: the celebration of contributions that Chinese Canadians have made to the country, and a reflection on contemporary forms of prejudice and exclusion faced by Canadians of Asian descent.
On June 23, Senator Oh and I will be hosting an event in the Senate of Canada, along with Action Chinese Canadians Together (ACCT), to remember the Chinese Exclusion Act, and to pledge an end to all forms of exclusion of Chinese and other Asian Canadians.  We have invited the Government of Canada to announce on that day the commissioning of a centenary plaque that we hope will find a permanent home in the Parliament of Canada.  The ignominy of Chinese Exclusion began here in parliament and it is here in parliament that the ignominy should be undone."
China, in the Eyes of a Newcomer:

Katherine's Journey to the East 阳离子东游记

Katherine is an American video blogger and environmentalist who shares her experiences of China after moving there a couple years ago. Her 'About' page reads: "I'm from the US and got my masters in Environmental Engineering at Nanjing University. I am now working at an environmental organization in Hangzhou, making videos as a hobby. Come with me on a journey of discovering the endless stories of China's people and its beautiful scenery from oceans to mountains to villages to everything in between."

Click here to check out her YouTube Channel.

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Foreign Policy Analyses:

Popular Resistance: The United States Wants to Make Taiwan the Ukraine of the East

Date Published: February 10, 2023
Written by: Vijay Prashad, Tricontinental Institute For Social Research.

"On 2 February 2023, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines met with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin at Malacañang Palace in Manila, where they agreed to expand the US military presence in the country. In a joint statement, the two governments agreed to ‘announce their plans to accelerate the full implementation of the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA)’ and ‘designate four new Agreed Locations in strategic areas of the country’. The EDCA, which was agreed upon in 2014, allows the US to use land in the Philippines for its military activities. It was formulated almost a quarter of a century after US troops vacated their bases in the Philippines – including a massive base at Subic Bay – during the collapse of the USSR."

 

 

 

Reuters: Economic war with China would be MAD

Published: February 15, 2023
Written by: Hugo Dixon

"The prospect of mutually assured destruction (MAD) helped avert nuclear conflict during the Cold War. Hopefully, fear of the economic equivalent will do a similar trick when it comes to a showdown with China. Still, the shooting down of a suspected Chinese spy balloon, which has led to a breakdown in diplomatic relations, is a reminder that errors can happen.
To see whether MAD will be enough to prevent war between America and China, look at just how disastrous such a conflict – which could be triggered by a Chinese invasion of Taiwan - would be."
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Anti-Racism in the Spotlight:

Learning Resources

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University of Houston: Global Communication Summit on Anti-Asian Racism

Taking place on February 15, 2023 at 8:30 am-5pm CT

"The Jack J. Valenti School of Communication and the Asian American Studies Center at the University of Houston are bringing together researchers, educators, students, journalists and activists for the 5th annual Global Communication Summit. This year’s summit, to be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 17 at the Valenti School of Communication, will focus on anti-Asian racism in everyday communication. The hybrid in-person and virtual event is free and open to the public."

 

 

 

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Black Women Radicals: Black and Asian-American Feminist Solidarities: A Reading List

In acknowledgement of Black History Month, we celebrate cross-community anti-racist solidarities. Today we share with you a reading and resource list assembled by Black Women Radicals. 

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Thursday, March 2nd

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