Article content continued

It’s important Canadians understand this because the more we get involved with China, the more these types of incidents will arise. And there will be nothing we can do about it. Because while the likes of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may bring up these issues from time to time with the Chinese, we have no leverage over them.

We will not be setting the terms for our business dealings with China. They will. And their guiding philosophy when it comes to trade is that if one side is going to bend to the will of the other, it is everyone else who will bend to them.

Think this is an exaggeration? This weekend The New York Times released a report on 600 projects that China financed in other countries called “The World, Built By China”. It presents a troubling picture of a world increasingly placed under Chinese influence.

“China envisions a vast global network of trade, investment and infrastructure that will reshape financial and geopolitical ties — and bring the rest of the world closer to Beijing,” begins The Times’ report.

It’s a sly initiative. It begins as simple offers of reasonable loans then turns into a play for control of important assets. “Sri Lanka borrowed more than $1 billion from China for this strategic deepwater port, but couldn’t repay the money. The port is now controlled by China, which is leasing it for the next 99 years,” says the report.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or

This is the whole idea behind the Belt and Road Initiative, a long-term sweeping economic project devised by President Xi Jinping that sees China’s influence expanding across Asia, Eastern Europe and much of Africa. It’s destined to be a Chinese replacement to bodies like the International Monetary Fund and other U.S.-dominated global financial instruments.