The collision between a U.S. spy plane and a Chinese fighter aircraft and the diplomatic crisis that ensued exposed the dangerous fragility of U.S.-Chinese relations. Despite a booming economic relationship, China and the United States continue to debate issues such as the future of Taiwan, the U.S. Missile Defence Program, human rights, Chinese membership in the World Trade Organization and the modernization of the Chinese armed forces. This News in Review report examines the unfolding and resolution of the spy plane crisis and its possible effects on relations between these two nations.
Monthly Archives: May 2001
The Quebec Summit: Policies and Fences
Leaders from 34 American nations met in Quebec City in April 2001 to discuss the formation of the worldճ largest free-trade zone, the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). Difficult issues debated included labour and environmental standards and industrial and agricultural subsidies, but much of the media focus was on the events occurring on the other side of the barricades; according to protestors the barriers and fences that divided Quebec City and that contributed to violent clashes between demon- strators and security forces represented the social, political, and ideological divisions in North, Central, and South America.
View Resource Guide content for this story.
Softwood Dispute: Tariffs and Subsidies
Tariffs over softwood lumber were at the heart of this ongoing feud, which epitomizes the historical and often problematic economic relationship between Canada and the United States. Early in 2001, when a five-year agreement on the issue ended, the U.S. again threatened to slap high tariffs on the import of softwood lumber from Canada. Although essentially a debate over trees and the health of the lumber industry in the U.S., the dispute also led to concerns and threats in terms of a potential negative impact on other trade relations between the two countries.
View Resource Guide content for this story.
Doukhobor Children: Caught in the Middle
Almost 50 years ago the British Columbia government ordered the seizure of children in the Doukhobor community. They were taken to a provincially run school and living facility, kept behind barbed wire and separated from their families in order to be educated according to the provincial education curriculum. Now many of the survivors are suing the provincial government for abuse and for what they consider to be their unlawful detention. This documentary contains vivid accounts of what went on during the childrenճ years of confinement.