40th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Canada and the People’s Republic of China
In 2010, Canada and the People’s Republic of China celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
While official relations between Canada and the People’s Republic of China (hereafter “China”) officially date to October 1970, the two countries established a rich and multi-faceted relationship as far back as 1961. It was then that the government of Prime Minister John Diefenbaker launched what became known as the “icebreaker initiative”. On the surface, this initiative was designed by the Government of Canada to supply grain to China at a time when the Chinese people were hard hit by famine and western Canadian farmers were in need of an economic boost. On a deeper level, this initiative is symbolic of the goodwill that has always undergirded Canada-China relations – even at the height of the Cold War.
Over the following decade, political relations between Canada and China continued to improve and the government of Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau made history when it announced in 1968 that the Government of Canada intended to formally recognize China and support its request to be admitted to the United Nations. Just two years later, on October 13th, 1970, Canada followed through with this pledge and in so doing led a wave of western countries that soon after also recognized the People’s Republic. Four months later, on February 1st, 1971, the Canadian Embassy raised the maple leaf for the first time on Chinese soil. The same day China sent its first envoy to Canada to establish the Chinese Embassy.
The Canada we know today would not exist were it not for the efforts of the Chinese labourers who began to arrive in the mid-nineteenth century. Beginning in 1881, over 15,000 of these Chinese pioneers became involved in the most important nation-building enterprise in Canadian history – the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Today, Chinese culture is widespread across Canada and has infused the fabric that knits our large and diverse country together. The Chinese language, for example, is now the third most widely spoken language in Canada after English and French. Moreover, Chinese-Canadians are, through their contributions to the fields of sport, academia, music, science and technology, commerce, the visual and performing arts, literature, and politics, to name just a few, enhancing our daily lives and helping to make our country so rich and vibrant.
As one looks to the future, there are many encouraging signs, notably in the areas of public health, education, environmental sustainability, human rights, good governance, poverty reduction, and crisis management. New reciprocal agreements, many of which were signed during Prime Minister Harper’s December 2009 trip to China, exist in the realms of trade, consular affairs, health, science and technology, culture, and environmental cooperation. All of these will add further depth to Canada-China relations in the coming years.
In 2010, the Canadian and Chinese governments are holding numerous cultural, academic, and commercial events to mark this momentous anniversary.
For more information on upcoming events, please visit the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade’s 40th Anniversary Events Calendar webpage.
