Again, I think you say it is for the Canadians to uphold your principles. Absolutely. Certainly democracy and freedom are your principles, so it is for Canada to uplift that. We do believe that, yes, democracy in the end is going to be the most important vehicle of change in China. But people are reluctant. People feel that with China you can't even talk about a democracy, because if you do that it is going to ruin your relations with China.
I think some of us have a better understanding of China than, with all respect, many of the self-styled China specialists that I've seen in my years of working on this issue. They go for a quick trip to China and come back and write a book and the next thing you know so-and-so has become a China expert. We are experts by compulsion. We didn't become experts academically, but because for us it is a life-and-death kind of issue.
China is changing and China is ready to change. I think there are millions of people in China today who would actually like China to become more free and democratic. I will not be surprised--in fact I think we can say with certainty there are even those in the leadership who believe that for China to really become a prosperous and strong, important nation, she must also politically change. It's not enough to economically adopt the western, whether it's good or bad--some think it's very decadent; some think it is wonderful. But what China has so far taken is the economic system. Totally, it has restricted itself. But if you keep on pushing it, I think there will be a surprising response, even from the section of the leadership who understands that in China's interest even the economic success cannot survive unless there is ultimately a political liberalization.
But it is not for us to preach. I think it is for a great nation like yours to uphold, and not to trade everything. Trading is a wonderful thing, but certain things, in our view, should not be treated as commodities to be sold. These principles, I think, must be preserved.