There are important differences over islands in the China Sea that while unpopulated, have large undersea resources, especially oil. To navigate in these tricky waters, Canada's Asian engagement must go beyond trade and investment, beyond governance and values, to include the political scene. Canada can contribute, as it has already done, to confidence building and an understanding of mutual security in the region. Canada must play an active role in the nascent organization set up to discuss security questions in the Northwest Pacific. The integration of China into the global system is of the highest possible importance.
Every little bit helps.
Canada's contribution, for example, to the creation of the little-known International Network for Bamboo and Rattan, to be headquartered in Beijing, will help anchor China in the international system. The small secretariat will be the first international body to be headquartered in China. This would not have happened without Canada, and China knows it. Nothing would be more stupid than to demonize China as the next threat to Western security and values. Regrettably, there seem to be some people in the U.S. who see enough dangerous elements in Beijing to vault China to the position vacated by the Soviet Union.