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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
China and Canada have announced the first steps toward the possible creation of a bilateral1 free-trade agreement.
Canadian MP Geng Tan, the first Chinese-born member of parliament with Trudeau's ruling Liberals, says the idea of a free-trade agreement comes at a time when Canada's economic growth has been somewhat stagnant2 in recent years.
"Canada has fallen behind, in terms of trade, in terms of relations, in terms of import and export. And for the past ten years, we didn't do much to promote the bilateral relationship with China."
Chinese and Canadian firms have already signed deals worth more than a billion US dollars earlier this month at the G20 in Hangzhou, covering everything from seafood3 to clean technology.
Pedro Antunes is the deputy chief economist4 of the Conference Board of Canada, which is the Canadian government's senior economic think-tank.
He argues more ties with China makes sense for Canada at the moment.
"If you see continued demand of 6.5 percent - let's say, if that's the new growth path for China - that's still a very strong opportunity for Canada. And I would argue that there are lots more that can be done."
Chinese acquisitions in Canada have hit roadblocks in the past, including the 14.5-billion US dollar Chinese takeover of Canadian oil sands company Nexen, which did eventually go through.
The previous Canadian administration under Conservative Stephen Harper set limits on Chinese access to the Canadian market, something the current Trudeau administration is considering adjusting.
Pedro Antunes with the Conference Board of Canada says he believes this might be the right time for the Chinese government to press this issue with the Trudeau government.
"I think we are opening up more and more and realizing that in fact some of these mergers5 and some of the acquisitions are essentially6 to look for opportunities in Canada."
Despite a broader downturn in global trade, the movement of goods and services between China and Canada bucked7 that trend.
Chinese investment into Canada increased by some 126-percent last year.
Beyond trade, Chinese Premier8 Li Keqiang and Justin Trudeau have also discussed the idea of creating an extradition9 treaty between the two countries.
This may be a more difficult task to achieve, as Canada has remained steadfast10 in its policy of not extraditing criminal suspects to countries who have the death penalty, unless the Canadian side has been given an assurance the suspect will not be put to death.
As such, Canada is high on the list of destinations where Chinese criminal suspects choose to flee.
At this month's G20, the two sides did announce the creation of annual meetings between the two sides to discuss security issues, as well as and economics.
1 bilateral | |
adj.双方的,两边的,两侧的 | |
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2 stagnant | |
adj.不流动的,停滞的,不景气的 | |
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3 seafood | |
n.海产食品,海味,海鲜 | |
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4 economist | |
n.经济学家,经济专家,节俭的人 | |
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5 mergers | |
n.(两个公司的)合并( merger的名词复数 ) | |
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6 essentially | |
adv.本质上,实质上,基本上 | |
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7 bucked | |
adj.快v.(马等)猛然弓背跃起( buck的过去式和过去分词 );抵制;猛然震荡;马等尥起后蹄跳跃 | |
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8 premier | |
adj.首要的;n.总理,首相 | |
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9 extradition | |
n.引渡(逃犯) | |
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10 steadfast | |
adj.固定的,不变的,不动摇的;忠实的;坚贞不移的 | |
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