Engaging China from Trudeau to Harper: A Behind the Book Interview with Dr. Paul Evans

Last month the Asia Pacific Memo sat down with Paul Evans to discuss his recently released book, Engaging China: Myth, Aspiration, and Strategy in Canadian Policy from Trudeau to Harper (University of Toronto Press, 2014). Dr. Evans states why he wrote the book and assesses what he sees as the primary mindsets that have underpinned and occasionally confronted an engagement strategy that has been the mainstay of Canadian policy for more than four decades. He offers insights into the terminology of China-Canada relations, the myth of the “special relationship“ and the steps necessary to recalibrate engagement in the face of rising Chinese power and increasing anxiety in Canada. Finally, he touches upon the unique middle power role Canada plays in facilitating a constructive international role for China in a messy multi-centric world order. Learn more about the Asia Pacific Memo, by the Institute for Asian Research, at