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It’s too bad Regina and Ottawa are so far apart these days.
The trade challenges between Canada and China have many offering opinions on the stance this country should be taking….some say toughen up our position, others are more measured. Either way, Saskatchewan may be a diplomatic ace-in-the-hole no one in Ottawa is thinking about.
Back in the early 60s, it was Saskatchewan’s John Diefenbaker who broke ranks with the world and sent food aid to starving Chinese citizens dealing with natural disasters. This came at a time when none in the Western world were talking with China. It was Canada who opened the door.
Nearly ten years later the University of Regina became one of the first to establish ties with a campus in China, almost a decade before China opened up to the world. It also presented a senior Chinese government official with an honorary degree, cementing the relationship that led to the U of R being the first international institution accredited for senior Chinese bureaucrats seeking executive training resulting in many of China’s top officials having lived in this province. Canada may want to ask us for some help.
