**In the interest of improving understanding within Canada about energy trade issues from the Chinese perspective, Energy Bridge is providing special coverage and interpretation of relevant articles from the Chinese-language media.
**Sina.com.cn, one of China's largest Internet based companies, released an article on 19 January 2012 discussing Prime Minister Harper's planned visit to China in February.
**Sina.com.cn, one of China's largest Internet based companies, released an article on 19 January 2012 discussing Prime Minister Harper's planned visit to China in February.
Article:
美媒体称加拿大总理2月访华预示中加关系回暖Translation: American media see Harper's China visit as a sign of warming Canada-China relations
Summary:
As usual, Harper is depicted as very power-savvy. In response to the reported “direct call” from Obama, Harper not only emphasizes the contribution the Keystone XL pipeline would make to employment in both Canada and the USA. He also, in good negotiating style, points out to the American president how Canada is expending great efforts to diversify its energy exports by which he is implicitly speaking of Enbridge’s Northern Gateway pipeline project.Notes:
The article places pipeline politics in the centre of Canada’s foreign policy decision-making. As in many other Chinese reports about President Obama’s recent “rejection” of TransCanada Pipeline Ltd’s Keystone XL project, the article tends to regard this as an outright rejection of the application and not, as is actually the case, a rejection of the current iteration of the application. Experts expect a new an amended application to be submitted soon and that an approval will be granted some time after the 2012 elections in the USA.A misunderstanding common in the Chinese press is the assumption that these pipelines are “Canadian”. The fact that companies, which are publicly listed on Canadian exchanges (i.e. Enbridge and TransCanada Pipelines), are the forces behind these projects is usually glossed over. This is almost to be expected of news reporting in a country where all major energy projects are government-directed.
Excerpt:
环球网记者仲伟东报道，据美国有线电视新闻网1月18日消息，加拿大总理哈珀计划于2月份“高调”访问中国，这也预示着加中关系日渐回暖。目前，加拿大正计划在该国西部修建一条石油管道，这将提高对华石油出口的速度并降低出口价格。此外，哈伯的办公室还发表声明说，美国总统奥巴马18日致电哈珀，就美方拒绝泛加拿大公司的Keystone管道项目一事做出解释。
声明还称，哈珀对Keystone项目遭拒的消息感到失望，他向奥巴马表示，“希望这项工程能够继续为加拿大和美国的就业以及经济增长做出贡献”。此外，哈珀还向奥巴马重申，加拿大将继续致力于实现能源出口的多元化。
