Past Events
March 12, 2025: “Chinese Canadians and Foreign Interference Concerns”
This presentation shares key findings from a recent survey of Chinese Canadians' experiences with intimidation, threat or harm by a foreign state actor, as well as their views regarding prejudice and stigmatization associated with foreign interference. While foreign interference should be addressed to safeguard Canada, policy makers, media, and other institutions should be aware that disinformation about foreign interference has fuelled prejudice against Chinese Canadians, suppressed their free speech, and discouraged political engagement.
Featured Speaker: Xiaobei Chen
September 19, 2024: “100% Tariffs on China's EVs: Is this Canada's ‘Just Transition’?”
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? Join us for this special webinar on Canada-China relations and the environment.
Featured Speaker: Sam Gindin, Elizabeth May, Gobind Dhugee
Organized by Canada-China Focus and co-sponsored with the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute.
September 12, 2024: “Understanding Bill C-70: Beyond a National Security State”
Serious concerns are being raised about the rapid passage of Bill C-70, known as the Countering Foreign Interference Act. This discussion aims to deepen public understanding of the bill, its far-reaching implications and potentially devastating impact on social movements as well as the critical importance of challenging and moving beyond the motivations that fuel a national security state in Canada.
Featured Speaker: Senator Yuen Pau Woo, Professor Midori Ogasawara, Tim McSorley (National Coordinator, International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group)
Organized by Canada-China Focus and co-sponsored with the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute.
March 21, 2024: “Pacific Canada Heritage Centre: My Journey, My Roots – What Is the State of Antiracism Today”
To commemorate the often-overlooked Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Pacific Canada Heritage Centre – Museum of Migration Society invited speakers from diverse backgrounds to share and engage in narratives surrounding anti-racism. Using storytelling as a medium to address the lived realities in which racial discrimination manifests itself, combined with the historical lens that the books 1923: Challenging Racisms Past and Present and Challenging Racist British Columbia navigate from, this webinar aims at providing an inclusive, informative, and safe space for learning.
Engaging in open dialogue is crucial to fostering mutual understanding and cultivating a more inclusive society. During this panel discussion, speakers will offer critical insights drawn from historical knowledge, personal observations and experiences within Pacific Canada.
June 13, 2024: “Foreign Policy and Anti-Racism Today”
Governments and institutions are increasingly emphasizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) but these programs often fail to address the rise in Sinophobia, Islamophobia, Anti-Palestinian Racism, and Antisemitism accompanying recent Canadian foreign policies. Join in the conversation with a panel of anti-racist activists and scholars.
Featured Speakers: Timothy J. Stanley, Monia Mazigh, Jamila Ewais, Alejandro Paz
Organized by Canada-China Focus and co-sponsored with the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute.
Sept 7, 2023: “The Media, CSIS and Modern Sinophobia”
For over ten years, CSIS (Canadian Security Intelligence Service) and other public security agencies have been targeting Chinese Canadians politicians and researchers as a fifth column for the People’s Republic of China. Some Canadian journalists rely heavily on CSIS in what amounts to a form of modern Sinophobia. This discussion, featuring Andrew Mitrovica, Midori Ogasawara and Georgia Kelly, explored the ethics of responsible, anti-racist reporting in an era of misinformation.
Featured Speakers: Andrew Mitrovica, Midori Ogasawara, Georgia Kelly
May 24, 2023: CCF presents: “A Talk with David Brophy, author of ‘China Panic”
David Brophy is a historian of China at the University of Sydney, a commentator on Australia-China Relations, and the author of China Panic: Australia’s Alternative to Paranoia and Pandering (Black Inc. 2021). In his academic work he specialises in the history of Xinjiang and the Uyghurs. His first book was a history of Uyghur nationalism (Uyghur Nation: Reform and Revolution on the Russia-China Frontier, Harvard, 2016), and his most recent book examines a work of 18th century Sufi literature from Xinjiang, entitled In Remembrance of the Saints (Columbia, 2021).
Join us on Wednesday, May 24th, 4pm Pacific/7pm Eastern to hear Brophy speak about his book “China Panic: Australia’s Alternative to Paranoia and Pandering”.
Sponsored by Canada-China Focus.
June 21, 2023: “Voices from Okinawa: The role of Canada and the US in militarising the Pacific”
Okinawans have been fighting to rid the island of U.S. bases for decades, giving rise to one of the strongest peace movements in the world. Today, Canadian Armed Forces regularly use U.S. military installations on Okinawa, including the infamous Kadena Air Base, the site of repeated mass demonstrations for decades. Canadian naval ships as well as CP-140 Aurora surveillance aircraft have also been sent to Okinawa as part of Operation Neon and Operation Projection. Join a discussion with Chobin Zukeran, Peter Kuznick, Satoko Oka Norimatsu and Youth for Okinawa representatives Shinako Oyakawa & Miyuki Kamiya to hear about the peace movement in Okinawa, the risks that accompany increasing militarization of the region and the role played by Canada and the US.
We will be hearing from Australian author David Brophy speak about his book “China Panic: Australia’s Alternative to Paranoia and Pandering” (Black Inc. 2021). Brophy is a historian of China at the University of Sydney, a commentator on Australia-China Relations, and specialises in the history of Xinjiang and the Uyghurs. We believe this book provides many essential lessons from Australia’s experience for understanding the situation currently unfolding in Canada.
This webinar follows the publication of a review of Brophy’s book by CCF advisory member John Price.
May 24, 2023: CCF presents: “A Talk with David Brophy, author of China Panic”
Oct 24, 2022: Conference recording from “HardTalk: Canada and the Asia Pacific”
On October 24, Canada-China Focus and Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs hosted the conference Hardtalk: Canada and the Asia Pacific Conference. This one-day, in person conference brought together diverse and anti-racist voices seeking an independent and inclusive foreign policy for Canada, one that considers innovative agendas for peace and justice in Asia Pacific.
Topics of discussion included Canada-China relations, anti-Asian racism, Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, rethinking Canadian foreign policy, and evaluating Canada’s past and probable future approaches to its relations with Asia Pacific nations.
April 24, 2022: “Worker and Union Solidarity with China: Why and How?” Featuring Kent Wong
Solidarity exchanges between trade unions in China, Canada and US were put on hold by COVID. At the same time economic and geo-political conflicts between nations have created new challenges to workers and unions. This webinar explores the value of worker-to-worker relationships despite those conflicts — indeed, made more important in a climate of anti-Asian racism and protectionism.
Moderated by Joey Hartman, past president, Vancouver and District Labour Council & Xinying Hu, SFU Labour Studies Program.
Feb 4, 2022: Canada at a Crossroads on China: “Work Together of Perish Together”, featuring Noam Chomsky
In aiming to “develop and launch a comprehensive Indo-Pacific strategy” and strengthening ties to the US, the Trudeau government has signalled its intent to join US-led war preparations in the Asia Pacific and provoke China. Join world-renowned linguist and lifetime anti-war activist Noam Chomsky in a webinar to consider the pitfalls of closer alignment with the US empire, and why diplomacy and working with China are the only option to meet the global challenges ahead. Either “Work Together or Perish Together”.
One of the most cited scholars alive, Noam Chomsky is considered a founder of modern linguistics and has published over 100 books, including his recent “Requiem for the American Dream.” Noam Chomsky has been an anti-war, anti-capitalist activist for over 60 years and continues to call to account liberal elites for propping up inherently unjust systems that have brought us to the brink of climate catastrophe and nuclear annihilation. Noam Chomsky taught linguistics at MIT from 1955 to 2017 and is currently a laureate professor of linguistics at the University of Arizona.
Nov 17, 2021: “Beyond Sinophobia & Anti-Asian Racism in Canada-China Relations”
The deterioration in Canada-China relations in the past few years has seen an escalation in attacks on those who dissent from the growing trend to demonize China. This is not the first time this has happened. In the 1960s, Professor Paul Lin faced systemic harassment when he advocated for the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Canada. This on-line webinar explores anti-Asian racism and the many dimensions of Canada-China relations, past and present. FEATURING:
Senator Yuen Pau Woo, facilitator of the Independent Senators Group, Canadian Parliament
Dr. Xiaobei Chen, Professor and Associate Chair, Sociology/Anthropology, Carleton University
Dr. Timothy J. Stanley, professor emeritus, University of Ottawa
The Paul and Eileen Lin Commemorative Lecture
Moderated by Bianca Mugyenyi, CFPI
Presented by Canada-China Focus in collaboration with the Chinese Canadian Historical Society of British Columbia