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Money, money, money. That about sums up our relationship with China these days, despite trade sanctions, unlawful detentions of Canadians, Hong Kong’s streets teeming with protesters fighting for the autonomy China promised them as well as the continued persecution of China’s own Uyghur minority.

After months without an ambassador in Beijing, our new one is Dominic Barton. He has deep ties to China’s ruling elites. He’s taught at Chinese universities and sat on the board of the China Development Bank.

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He was global managing partner of the international consulting giant, McKinsey & Co. And, up until his appointment Wednesday, he was chair of Vancouver-based Teck Resources, in which state-owned China Investment Corp. has a 10.5 per cent share.

What he lacks is diplomatic experience and any apparent mandate to reset Canada’s relationship. Despite Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland’s comments that Barton has been well-briefed on the importance of human rights and gender equality, his resume suggests that it’s economics and engagement that Barton will be promoting in the faint hope that if we’re nice to them, China’s rulers will change their ways.