China in Canada: Circling the Water Hole

“Seven of the world’s 10 most populated regions face such severe water shortages over the next three decades that they threaten to derail the growth which hundreds of millions of people in the developing world are banking on to lift them out of poverty.”

One of those countries is China.  China’s communist regime has a lot of challenges on their plate these days – significant internal pressures that are building to the boiling point.  Their water’s running out, they have a couple bubbles waiting to burst, the middle class is feeling both duped and squeezed and there are still too many people having to get by on the equivalent of $1 a day.   

One thing in their favour, most of the time, has been a stable political process that, while stifling democracy and causing a lot of the problems they now face, at least allows for long-term planning.

Knowing the internal challenges they face, China has been playing the long game.  While Western countries get caught up in four-year political cycles and scandals ranging from election fraud to bunga bunga parties, China has been building its presence in Africa and the South Pacific, making the right friends and casting its shadow over those they can control.

China has more troops positioned in Africa than Canada has, period.  They are positioning themselves for resource access but also land access, as they’re going to need somewhere to grow food for their massive populace.  In addition to food, though, China is going to need water.  Where is the world’s largest freshwater system? 

Prime Minister Harper, determined to build a natural resource-based economy that capitalizes on Alberta oil walked off in a huff from the US and into the welcoming arms of China.  To maintain and build a stronger relationship with China, Harper has opened the doors to Canada’s telecoms sector.  He has done this against advice from his own advisors and foreign partners.  Unfortunately, Harper and his inner team are believers of the “reality based” model of politics – they think they can create reality if they are tough and shrewd enough.  Sadly for us, they’re wrong.

China sees oil as a panda foot in the door – but they aren’t going to stop there.  As they start circling Ottawa, you can bet they’ve got one eye turned towards the Great Lakes.

Far from firewalling Canada against troubles lapping at our shores, Harper has now made us vulnerable on several fronts to a player that has drawn the consternation of many allies, including our southern neighbours.  If the US sees China’s presence in Canada’s telecoms as a threat, if they start to see the potential for external competition over our shared fresh water, you can guarantee something will budge.

There’s a way to make a win of this, but not through the strategy Harper is playing.  It’s time Canadians start paying more attention to global water woes – because those are challenges that are going to come home to roost sooner rather than later.