Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnnyB
Do you understand that my points in response to HuntingWhale have all been about how stupid it is to target visas in particular?
The issue of visas is also not, as Girly suggests, about us wanting cheaper products. The issue of visas is largely about selling our cultural experiences and educational products where Chinese are the customers, and in the case of students they are customers actually paying for Canadian institutions to tell them how to think. What is the point in targeting that of all things?
I mean, CaptainCrunch points out the trade imbalance as a problem, but selling fewer Canadian products to Chinese consumers is a good thing?
There actually is a strategic benefit for Canada in selling Canadian cultural and educational products and I don't see any compromise of Canadian values in continuing to do so.
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Not all customers are good customers. And I don't believe that Canadian institutions have much sway in how Chinese students think. They have already spent their formative years in the Chinese system, in my brief and anecdotal experience with a Chinese roommate, there was no way he was modifying his views.
I don't care about a trade imbalance with China. They aren't our only customer, and if we could bring exports and imports to zero with them, I'd be fine with that. Why don't we help develop industries in our backyard in central and south America? That's one of our biggest missteps, but also our biggest opportunity.