Aug 22, 2014

Following allegations by the Canadian government that it had fallen victim to Chinese cyber-attacks, a Canadian couple was arrested in China on charges of espionage. Now, as China’s bilateral relations with Western nations continue to degrade, Hugh Stephens examines the current cyber-spying row and offers suggestions for dispute resolution to Canada, the United States, and Western companies operating in China.

May 19, 2014

After Luo Zhaohui, China’s incoming ambassador to Canada, labeled Canada’s foreign investment rules as “negative” and called for “some kind of changes” to the nation’s trade policy, Hugh Stephens examines why bilateral trade relations have declined and what Canada and the United States can do to promote greater investment from China.

Mar 01, 2014

Hugh Stephens discusses the rationale behind Canada’s recent decision to eliminate its immigrant investor and entrepreneur program, and the impact that it might have on similar US programs. The Canadian government review concluded that the investor immigrant program did not provide a good ROI for Canada. This decision, along with tighter citizenship qualification policies, will likely dampen enthusiasm for future Chinese investor immigration to Canada although other channels remain open. The termination of the Canadian program will cause increased interest in the US EB-5 visa program although absolute numbers of visas granted is unlikely to increase significantly.

Nov 15, 2013

The success of the Canada-EU Trade Agreement has allowed Canada to refocus its priorities on the US-led Trans-pacific Partnership trade talks and potentially paves the way for a larger free trade deal in the future. Hugh Stephens posits that as trade negotiations continue, Canada will position itself to take a stronger foothold in Asia.

Sep 16, 2013

With the US military reaching out to establish a better military-to-military dialogue with China, Canada’s military initiatives should have a positive impact on US-China military relations, writes Hugh Stephens.

Aug 05, 2013

Canada’s large supply of raw materials and natural resources has made it an ideal trade partner for China. Now, as China’s economy begins to slow, Hugh Stephens examines how a positive, long term perspective on Sino-Canadian relations could be beneficial for all of North America.