“China in the World Today:” Register Now!
June 06 2026 — A Symposium within the annual Socialist Studies conference, June 04-06
Université de Saint-Boniface, Winnipeg MA
See poster for full details.
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FEATURED
The director told us that between 150-180k workers have relocated to this area since the start of the afforestation project, with the goal of 400k total by 2035. In order to recover some of the costs of the afforestation project, the local director of Lucheng Forest Farm is experimenting with a few options: growing medicinal herbs like Chinese peonies between the trees, and exploring partnerships with EV producers to use the area for purposes like vehicle testing.
This is a flagship ecological civilization pilot project, and the project runners are still innovating and experimenting how best the forests can serve the community, meet environmental needs, and cultivate a sustainable, biodiverse forest.”
– Garrett Halas, Field Trip participant
UPDATE: Ecological Civilization Field Trip to China
“Today we visited the Lucheng Forest Farm in the outskirts of Beijing. It is an afforestation project which turned 150 hectares of farmland into forest as part of China’s ecological civilization practice. The local project director explained that there are two main goals in this project: first, to create a new carbon sink with the tree growth, and second, to relocate some government offices to the township in order to alleviate overcapacity issues in Beijing.
CCF has sent an 11-student delegation to China at the beginning of May to explore how to Canada and China can collaborate on environmental stewardship and sustainability. The project is led by Professors Lanyan Chen (Nipissing University) and William Carroll (University of Victoria). The delegation has been hosted by Bailie University in Beijing, Yunnan Agricultural University, and Suzhou University. Delegates are a mix of undergraduate and graduate students from universities across Canada, whose fields of study range from political science to environmental studies.
WEBINAR: A Live Report on Local Okinawan Resistance to US Military Base Construction
Writer and activist Satoko Oka Norimatsu gives a live report from Okinawa on the new U.S. military facility under construction and local Okinawan protesters’ resistance to the project, in conversation with Professor Hideki Yoshikawa, expert on Okinawan social and environmental issues.
WEBINAR: China on Palestine, Past and Present
Writer Zhang Sheng and Chair of Ottawa Forum on Israel-Palestine Peter Larson discuss China's present approach to Palestine and Israel, and how it contrasts to its strong position of solidarity with Palestine during the Mao era.
WEBINAR: Protest FITAA, the “Foreign Interference Transparency and Accountability Act”
The Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act (FITAA), under consultation until February 2nd 2026, is Ottawa's latest move in its campaign against foreign interference, which up to this point has largely served to silence and intimidate Chinese Canadians without grounds. Senator Yuen Pau Woo, co-founder of Canadians United Against Modern Exclusion, discusses how FITAA, despite lawmakers' best intentions, is liable to unintentionally bolster the exclusion of particular groups in Canadian politics.
The Future of Canada-China Relations - A Lecture at the University of Victoria
January 22, 2025
Current MP and interim NDP leader Don Davies calls for Canada to re-establish an approach to China that breaks away from the existing, overwhelmingly anti-China stance that politicians and the media have adopted since 2017. Davies notes that present Canada-China relations are exceptionally frigid compared even to the US and those under the Harper government, and traces this back to the 2018 arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wan Zhou and leaked allegations of foreign interference in the 2019 federal election. Davies argues that this position has put Canada at a disadvantage politically and economically. Davies describes opportunities and methods to re-establish regular and productive relations with China and possible benefits of doing so, including lessening dependence on the US as a trading partner.
Senator Yuen Pau Woo presents: The Dangers of Modern Exclusion
August 26, 2025
Canadians United Against Modern Exclusion was created this June as a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization to work with all Canadians whose rights and freedoms have been compromised because of national security overreach, foreign interference hysteria, and fear of the ‘other’. Senator Yuen Pau Woo will speak on why the need for such an organization and the CUAME program for the immediate future.
Resisting Pacific War Preparations: Talisman Sabre
July 30, 2025
IPAN (Independent and Peaceful Australia Network) and the Pacific Peace Network are leading opposition to US-Led military war exercises, code-named Talisman Sabre, that began on July 14 and will continue for over two weeks. Over 35,000 military personnel from 19 countries, including Canada, are carrying out war preparations on the ground, air, sea, and in cyberspace.
Join IPAN representative Annette Brownlie and others from the Pacific Peace Network to discuss resistance to the war preparations and the fight for a nuclear-free, peaceful, and sustainable Pacific. Moderated by Midori Ogasawara, University of Victoria.
100% Tariffs on China’s EVs: Is this Canada’s "Just Transition"?
Sept 19, 2024
The Liberal government recently imposed a 100 percent tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles. What‘s at stake in this move? Is this simply another attempt to cozy up to America’s new cold war against China? Is it an attempt to gain support from autoworkers in the leadup to the next federal election? EVs may not be the only answer to the climate catastrophe we face today, but are they part of the solution?
Understanding Bill C-70: Beyond a National Security State
Sept 12, 2024
Rights groups warn Bill C-70 is likely to erode civil liberties and human rights. Passed with minimal scrutiny, this bill amends key security and criminal laws, threatening fundamental freedoms, including free speech, assembly, and privacy, and could be used for profiling based on politics, race, religion, or nationality.
Featured Speakers: Yuen Pau Woo, Midori Ogasawara, Tim McSorley, John Price
SUBMISSIONS
Statement on BC Ferries decision to award contract to Chinese shipbuilding firm
June 18, 2025
“Canada-China Focus, a project at the Centre for Global Studies, University of Victoria, takes issue with the fearmongering and demonization taking place regarding the awarding of a BC Ferry contract to Weihai shipyards.
As a project based in BC and Canada, we agree with the BC Ferry and Marine Workers' Union statement that it would be preferable to have new ferries built in BC or Canada. The Spirit-class ferries, built in British Columbia, well-crafted and reliable, remain centrepieces of the fleet. From the information available, however, BC shipyards are no longer prepared to build such large vessels.”
Canada-China Focus Statement on EV Tariffs Imposed by Canadian Government
September 6, 2024
“Late last month, the Canadian government announced that it would be imposing a 100 percent tariff on electric vehicles (EVs) imported from China beginning October 1st .
Given the potential ramifications of this decision, Canada-China Focus asks labour, environmental, peace and policy groups to work with us to appropriately address trade issues in Canada-China relations. Please consider the following:
Is there an economic justification for the 100% tariff?”
Submissions to the Public Interference Inquiry
See below two submissions to the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference by CCF advisory members Dr. John Price and Dr. Tim Stanley. Note that these submissions reflect the work and thoughts of the author alone and do not necessarily represent the views of CCF.
by John Price, Professor Emeritus, University of Victoria.
April 15, 2024
by Timothy J. Stanley, Professor Emeritus, University of Ottawa
July 29, 2024
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