I'm not sure I'd need to take my hat off, because, quite frankly, in my dealings when I visited China for the first time in my capacity wearing the presidency of the CCBC in November, and subsequently, we talked to our Chinese interlocutors above and beyond simply business and commercial transactions.
Many of our companies go beyond their service or product as well. You look at Alcan and the things that Alcan is doing in the northwest province of China, not only for their workers but for the local communities. They're jumping a much higher bar than is necessary, but they do it. This is where I also embrace the idea of good corporate governance and social responsibility.
Many of our firms are doing that, so we think they are also exporting those kinds of values, first because now in a global economy you have one brand, and therefore, quite frankly, you should have one standard and one approach. So you will find many Canadian companies who go beyond their essential product or services, improving the lot not only of their employees but of the communities and various hospitals, transportation systems, and elsewhere.
Second, it is because at times it is so frustrating that we need a good relationship and an approach that really is going to try to crunch this issue for the positive. I also sympathize with the difficulty in trying to engage the Chinese on saying we would like our consular officials to be available for that individual who happens to be a Canadian citizen and who is carrying a Canadian passport.
There are times the Chinese don't make life easy for our government. I've been there. I can fully appreciate that, but I don't think it is reason enough to shout louder. Who knows? Maybe shouting louder would work, but I'm not sure it will.
If there is really an obstacle you really need genuine engagement, and the question is therefore how do you build a new means or instrument to get around the fact that they don't recognize dual citizenship and we do? It is going to take a leader, a minister, officials to really eyeball each other, and cross those t's and dot those i's, so that we figure out a way where these consular cases will not continue to impede the growth of our relationship.
So we would advocate that those frustrations are cause for greater engagement and deliberation.