Zhao Liying, the consul-general of the People’s Republic of China in Calgary, was in Yellowknife last week for a whirlwind meeting with local officials and attend a multicultural event.
During the visit, Zhao met with Mayor Rebecca Alty and Aurora College president Glenda Vardy-Dell.
Alty said that this was the first time Zhao had visited Yellowknife, and the idea of this meeting was give Zhao an idea about the city.
Alty described their meeting as an initial one.
“The meetings are an opportunity to chat and talk about what the economy in Yellowknife is and what’s happening in Yellowknife right now,” said Alty. “Generally, there was a lot of discussion around tourism and tourism potential.”
Alty also said that this was an opportunity for her to learn more about what programs the consulate in Calgary provides that could benefit Yellowknife.
Relations between Canada and China weren’t mentioned, Alty added, but she said Zhao also discussed her desire to help the local Chinese community with things such as obtaining passports and other assistance while they travel abroad.
Yellowknifer contacted Aurora College for comment, but it did not respond as of press time.
Mike W. Bryant, publisher of NNSL media and general manager of Canarctic Graphics, attended a lunch with Zhao and her staff. The lunch was organized by the Yellowknife Chinese Association, who extended an invitation to Bryant earlier this month.
“Despite some of the tensions and controversy that’s going on in our country right now, I’m not inclined to say no to a meeting like that,” Bryant said. “I and other people want to know more about why they’re here and how they’re relating to some of these issues that our two countries are facing, as well as our territory.”
Bryant said he recommended to Zhao that she engage with media and other Canadians about their concerns with China, which include alleged Chinese interference in the past two federal elections.
“We did ask if we could send a reporter to (the) lunch and they didn’t want a reporter there,” he said.
One topic Bryant mentioned was the rapid increase in winter tourism from China to the NWT in the years leading up to Covid-19. That generated a lot of economic activity in the North, particularly in Yellowknife, but also in some communities outside of the capital. Once Covid-19 hit, the loss of tourism had a significant impact on the local economy.