HEY, CHINA!

Well, well, things are coming to a head. Canada and China are engaged in a diplomatic squabble, and China's true colours are showing. China has been dismissive of Canada, suggesting that such a pipsqueak little country should just keep its mouth shut.

I think it's just about time somebody grabbed a switch and took China out behind the shed. I can think of about 35,000,000 people who are perfect for the job.

(That's the approximate population of Canada.)

And I know how to do it.

China, for all its hideous, almost-uncountable human-rights abuses, its crushing yoke of communism, is rewarded for bad behaviour by way doing huge amounts of business with Canada. As a result, an inordinate amount of the things we purchase in the course of a year has been made in China. What's more, most of the raw materials in the products originated --wait for it--in Canada!

What if we all, collectively said, "Enough is enough" and simply stopped buying chinese crap. No more tissue-thin tee-shirts, or pants with tiny pockets, that don't zip up correctly; no more iPhones (look it up!); no more little piles of junk from the dollar store; no more piles of shoes for midgets.

I think it's time for Canada to look to stop doing business with China. China has proven itself unable to participate on the world stage as an adult; therefore, it needs to be spanked.

Henceforth, I'm going to be checking the labels on everything I buy. If it's made in China--if there's any possibility it was made in China--it's going back onto the shelf. I will buy no Chinese-made electronics, clothing, foodstuffs. I won't see their travelling exhibits or cultural shows. In short: I am going to minimize the amount of business done with China on my behalf.

My new mantra: no more chinese crap!

If enough Canadians stuck by this policy, there would be rapid changes. Dollarama, for example, would have to scramble to replace almost every product on its shelves. Wal-Mart would founder. Our retail landscape would be in for some reconfiguration; but that's not a bad thing.

There are other consequences. China's purchasing of raw materials would somewhat slow down; wouldn't it be wonderful if Canadians suppliers to China began to say, "Sorry, can't help you." We could bring China to its knees in about six months.

China can be dismissive of Canada, but at its own peril. If you look at the percentage of global trade Canada does with China, it's easy to see that the removal of that trade would cause a recession in China. It's easy to see that our trade cannot simply be replaced on the chinese side of the equation; far easier on the Canadian side.

As for Canada? I don't think it would be that bad. It would be a boon for Canadian manufacturers (if there's a demand for something, someone will make it--and incidentally need raw materials)--and the loss of jobs in retail chains that failed to adapt would be made up for by increases in employment among chains that did.

China is a huge consumer of Canadian raw materials, and a huge supplier of cheap crap, highly dependent upon overseas trade. Let's start using that leverage.

-Bill