After the missionaries: Churches and Human rights NGOs in Canadian relations with China

Webster, David (2013) After the missionaries: Churches and Human rights NGOs in Canadian relations with China. Journal of American East Asian Relations, 20 (2-3). pp. 216-233.

[img] Text
Webster Human rights NGOs JAEAR pre-print.doc

Download (89kB)

Abstract

Canadian relations with China, historically, have been driven by missionary work and the search for expanded trade. Missionary work drew on the search for souls to save, but morphed into development (schools and hospitals). Trade promotion, meanwhile, drew on age-olds tropes of “Oriental riches” and “the China market.” The missionary and merchant impulses have intertwined in Sino-Canadian relations. This paper examines post-missionary engagement with China by Canadian churches and human rights advocacy by Canadian non-governmental organizations since the 1970s. The focus is on two ecumenical coalitions sponsored by the Canadian churches: the Canada China Programme and the Canada Asia Working Group. The former stressed themes of partnership with Chinese Christian networks as the People’s Republic of China began to open up to the world; the latter stressed advocacy for human rights and economic justice. The tensions within these coalitions illustrates the larger tension between engagement and trade on the one hand, and rights advocacy on the other, in Sino-Canadian relations. These case studies also show the importance of non-state actors in trans-Pacific relations.

[error in script]
Item Type: Article
Divisions: Humanities > History
Depositing User: David Webster
Date Deposited: 26 Mar 2015 13:07
Last Modified: 26 Mar 2015 13:07
URI: http://eprints.ubishops.ca/id/eprint/88

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item