The Pacific Century

If China is next in line to be global superpower, then Canada needs to rethink its relationship with the eastern giant.

Ahh, Orange County: wide streets lined with lush greenery, SUV-filled driveways jutting out from opulent mansions, a veritable paradise for the wealthy elite.

The American dream come to life – except this isn't Orange County, California. This is Orange County, China, a development of 251 villas an hour's drive north of Beijing. It's a Disney-esque replica of the famous American suburb, and the condos all sold within a month of being put on the market.

We have Chinatowns in North America, so why not an Americatown in China?

But the days of China looking to the U.S. as a model of economic prosperity may be numbered. China has had the world's fastest growing major economy for the past 30 years with a GDP that has risen an average of 10 per cent annually.

The question now isn't, "Will China's economy overtake the U.S.?" but "How soon?"

In this week's show, three of The Mark's contributors join host Chris Mitchell to talk about how China is changing, and what Canada can do to influence those changes.

Guests include:

Jean Michel Montsion, PhD in international relations and a research fellow at the Asia Pacific Foundation, on the cultural, economic and political changes Canada can expect in the Pacific century.

Former Canadian Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific David Kilgour on whether Canada is turning a blind eye to human rights violations in China while lining its pockets with yuan.

Public policy expert Eugene Lang on what Canada needs to do now to get ready for China.

(Run-time: 30 minutes.)

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