A Saanich entrepreneur familiar with China says current trade tensions between the United States and China could benefit Canada, notwithstanding measures designed to curb foreign investment.
B次元官网网址淭he [United States] is becoming less attractive for Chinese people because of the potential trade war and issues like that,B次元官网网址� said Alistair Vigier, , in an interview describing his second journey to China
Alistair Vigier, and currently serves as international consultant for Jusu Body, made these comments after the provincial government had extended the foreign buyersB次元官网网址� tax to the Greater Victoria area and curbed the purchases of second homes.
These measures barely resonate in China, where residents consider Canada on par with the United Kingdom and Australia, when it comes to investing. The reputation of the United States has suffered against the backdrop of simmering tensions.
B次元官网网址淪o I know Chinese people are concerned about moving their money into the U.S. in case there is retaliation,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 see that Canada will become more and more popular for Chinese people regardless of the [foreign-buyers] tax. Obviously, it is a large amount of extra money to pay as a foreigner here. But if you have a lot of money, and you are just trying to get it out of China for safe-keeping, Canada is still the safest place.B次元官网网址�
VigierB次元官网网址檚 business trip took him among to Beijing and Shanghai among other spots.
While Vigier had a better idea of what to expect, many aspects surprised him.
One of those was alcohol. Lunch often involves multiple drinks, as participants cheer frequently. Certain norms also guide this custom. Junior professionals, for example, must tap the lower end of the glasses that belong to senior professionals.
B次元官网网址淚t sounds trivial to us, but to them, they take it very seriously,B次元官网网址� he said. Even the amount matters, as Vigier found out, when a communist party official asked him to refill his glass before cheering. B次元官网网址淗e actually wouldnB次元官网网址檛 let me tap his glass until my alcohol was at a certain level. It was too low for some reason.B次元官网网址�
VigierB次元官网网址檚 visit to China happened against the backdrop of the 13th National PeopleB次元官网网址檚 Congress of China that elevated the status and power of Chinese president Xi Jinping, whose government has stepped up control, something Vigier has noticed.
B次元官网网址淚 think Chinese people agree with me about the statement that things are a lot more strict in China,B次元官网网址� he said.
Accepting ChinaB次元官网网址檚 authoritarian leadership is part and parcel of the bargaining when it comes to doing business.
B次元官网网址淚f you want to go and do business in any developing country, if we are talking about Africa, the Middle East, if we are talking about China, Asia, there is going to be a list of things that offend us as Canadians,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淵ou have to make that decision if you are comfortable with that.B次元官网网址�
This said, Vigier hopes and expects China will move towards Canadian standards of social and political developments, and he has actually considered moving to China, were it not for the air pollution
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 a big no for me,B次元官网网址� he said.
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