The idea of friendship is a complicated one in international relations.  It is especially complicated in an era of heightened political tensions and raw emotions in interactions between Western countries and China in the context of complex differences in history, values and institutions.  

The presentation will draw on the experiences and ideas of three individuals –John Fairbank, Pierre Trudeau, and Kevin Rudd–who in different periods and in different ways have advocated deeper contact with China even while holding deep reservations about major elements of China’s domestic and foreign policy actions.  What are the moral dimensions and practical implications of being characterized as a friend of China?  What can we learn from the three about navigating the darkest period in Canada-China relations since the establishment of diplomatic relations?