July 6th, 2017 | Published in CCFSO by admin
Guy Saint-Jacques
In October the Chinese Communist Party agreed at its 19th Party Congress on the new lineup of the Standing Committee of the Politburo. What does this mean for the leadership of President Xi Jinping and what can we expect in terms of political and economic developments in the next five years? What role China will want to play on the international scene? Guy Saint-Jacques, Ambassador of Canada to China from 2012 to 2016, will address these questions as well as talk of the status of relations between Canada and China, including the possible launch of formal negotiations of a bilateral free trade agreement. A question period will follow his presentation.
Guy Saint-Jacques worked for one year as a land planner for the Quebec Government before joining the Department of External Affairs in 1977, holding office in New York, Mexico City, Kinshasa, and Hong Kong as well as twice in Washington, D.C., the last time as Minister and Deputy Head of Mission. He has also been Deputy High Commissioner at the High Commission of Canada in London, UK and has been posted three times to Beijing. At Headquarters, he first worked in the Consular Affairs division, in the Francophone Africa division, and then in the Science and Technology division and in the Office of the Associate Deputy Minister. He also served as Deputy Director of the Energy and Environment division, as Director of both the Personnel (Political and Commercial) and the Assignments divisions, and as Director General of the Personnel Management Bureau .
He served as Chief Negotiator and Ambassador for Climate Change for the Government of Canada and was the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary for Canada to the People’s Republic of China until October 2016. For Mr. Saint-Jacques who speaks fluent Mandarin, this was a fourth assignment in China. Mr. Saint Jacques holds a B. Sc. (Geology), University of Montreal, and a M. A. (Land Planning and Regional Development), Laval University. He is married to Sylvie Cameron and the couple has two daughters and two grandchildren.
Tuesday November 21, 2017 –7:30 pm
(following the Annual General Meeting of the CCFS which starts at 7:00)
Christ Church Cathedral
414 Sparks St., Ottawa
(between Bay St. and Bronson Ave)
Free parking on site off Sparks St., accessible access
All welcome. Entry is free for CCFS members and $10 for non-CCFS members.
(Only members in good standing may vote in the AGM)