Oil spurs Canada PM Stephen Harper visit to China

[dipsydoodle]

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper will visit China next week to discuss the future of Canada's oil products.

The visit comes after the US rejected a pipeline route from Alberta to Texas.

Five Cabinet ministers, including the ministers of natural resources, trade and foreign affairs will join Mr Harper on his second official visit to China.

A spokesman for the prime minister told the Associated Press it was "absolutely in Canada's interests" to build a new pipeline to deliver oil to China.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16884061

[pampango]

1. From the CBC: 7 big topics for Harper's China trip (including pandas)

Prime Minister Stephen Harper leaves for China Monday with four cabinet ministers and seven MPs in tow. It will be his second visit to the country after initially cool relations when he first took office in 2006.

Harper initially avoided the country over its human rights record, not attending the Beijing Olympics in 2008 after telling reporters in 2006 that he didn’t think Canadians wanted the government to sell out over the “almighty dollar.” He also met with the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet, angering the Chinese government.

In 2009, Harper paid his first visit to China, where the country’s leaders chided him for having waited so long. Chinese President Hu Jintao repaid the visit in 2010 as relations continued to warm and trade continued to increase. He's also bringing along the ministers most important to doing business with China — Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, International Trade Minister Ed Fast, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver.

With that in mind, here are seven topics that could come up during Harper's meetings in the country. (more on each topic at the link)

1. A lot of talk about oil and gas.
2. A focus on trade and investment
3. Gentle talk about human rights.
4. Quiet discussion about Iran.
5. A push to sell an education in Canada.
6. China's interest in the Arctic.
7. A gift of pandas.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/02/03/pol-stephen-harper-china-trip.html

[INdemo]

2. He bluffing...its a scheme to giive the Repukes a talking point here in the US

and their venture will be to land on the sun...makes 'bout as much sense....

[Old Grump]

4. Barking at the wrong dog

Pipe line was rejected for spurious reasons and Canada has a product to sell. Every economy can use incoming cash flow, especially if they have invested in infrastructure and then find their primary customer backed out. Republicans had little or nothing to do with this decision.

[Vincardog]

6. spurious reasons? Please enlighten me before you leave. Welcome

to DU!

[INdemo]

7. No...I doubt Canada will or could stretch the pipeline across

areas that dont want it and are firm about that..The Canadian Prime Minister could be just be just blowing smoke
because Obama rejected this..So meeting with China it could be an effort to undermine President Obama and boost the
Repukes talking points...

[handmade34]

3. oil by the numbers...

http://thetyee.ca/Blogs/TheHook/Labour-Industry/2012/01/16/OilNumbers/

http://thetyee.ca/News/2012/02/02/Northern-Gateway-Inflationary-Threat/

[hughee99]

5. Canada has oil to sell, China needs oil

why wouldn't they talk to China about it?

[Fearless]

8. How does one build a pipeline from Canada to China exactly?

[DUIC]

9. Ocean Floor pipelines are nothing new

The question is whether it is economical for China to build one from the tar sands of Canada to their coast.

[Fearless]

10. That was my thought too...

That can't come cheap. Literally half way across the world and all... plus avoiding US waters on the west coast.