Compas Poll / Survey

Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s public diplomacy on the human rights situation in China elicited paradoxical reactions in Canadian journalism and business. Customary advocates of human rights in the Globe and Mail chastised the Prime Minister for ostensibly putting Canadian business opportunities at risk.

Some members of the COMPAS business panel also admonished Mr. Harper. But the overwhelming majority judged him well on the issue. The CEOs and business leaders on the panel saw the Prime Minister’s public diplomacy as advancing human rights in China, likely causing no short-term pain for Canadian business, entirely justifiable even if Canadian business incurred some losses as a result, and ultimately benefiting Canadian business by helping to strengthen the Chinese legal system.

Prime Minister Chretien, a practitioner of quiet diplomatic arts during his many visits to China, earns a failing grade for his performance on China. Harper earns a reasonably good grade despite the strongly held concerns of a minority of panelists.

These are the principal findings from the weekly business web-survey conducted by COMPAS for the Financial Post under sponsorship of BDO Dunwoody LLP.