Mr. Speaker, China is important to Vancouver Quadra, to Canada and to the global economy.
World leaders from France, Britain and Australia get it. Our Prime Minister does not.
As the world's second largest economy, China represents enormous economic opportunities for Canada.
Why, then, does our Prime Minister ignore the importance of our relationship with China? Since he has been in office, he has never once travelled to that country. He has travelled to Europe, to South America and to other regions, yet China is not even on his radar.
Like President Bush, Prime Minister Harper continues to indulge in ideological behaviour that further distances China from North Americans.
I call on the Prime Minister to recognize the importance of China. I call on him to engage, not insult, Chinese leaders and to lead a trade delegation to that country at the soonest possible opportunity for the benefit of Canadians.