For decades, Canada believed it could gently shape China into a responsible global actor through diplomacy, commerce, and cultural exchange. But as this clear-eyed, searing account reveals, it was China that ended up reshaping us. In Trading Trust (or other selected title), acclaimed sinologist Charles Burton takes readers inside Canadas most fateful geopolitical miscalculation. Drawing on a lifetime of engagement from dorm rooms at Fudan University to behind-closed-doors diplomacy in Beijing Burton chronicles Chinas strategic ascent and the naïveté that allowed it to happen. From Tiananmen to hostage diplomacy, this book captures the history we lived through but failed to understand. These essays, written in real time across four Canadian governments, expose the illusions of engagement and the emergence of an authoritarian power that seeks to dominate the 21st century. These essays, spanning 2009 to 2025, expose the sharp power tactics and global ambitions that define Xi Jinpings China. But Burton also leaves us with a challenge and a hope that democratic resilience can reclaim the future.
Charles Burton is a distinguished Canadian sinologist and senior fellow at Sinopsis, a Prague-based research platform focused on Chinas influence in global democratic systems. A longtime professor of political science at Brock University, Burton has specialized in comparative politics, Confucian political philosophy, and the evolving dynamics of CanadaChina relations. He holds advanced degrees from Cambridge University and studied at Fudan University in Shanghai, where he was among the first Canadian scholars embedded in Chinas academic system following the Cultural Revolution.
Burtons career includes diplomatic service at the Canadian Embassy in Beijing, where he advised on Communist Party communications and strategic developments. As a columnist and commentator, his analyses have appeared in The Globe and Mail, National Post, The Toronto Star, and international outlets. Fluent in Mandarin and deeply versed in Chinese political culture, Burton brings unmatched insight into the ideology, tactics, and global ambitions of the Chinese Communist Party.
Kevin Cavanaugh is an editor and former senior executive at Postmedia Network Inc., Canadas largest print and digital newspaper publisher. Over his 35-year career, he held leadership roles in some of the countrys most influential newsrooms, directing coverage on national politics, foreign affairs, and public accountability. Cavanaughs editorial expertise helps bring clarity and cohesion to complex geopolitical narratives, making him an essential voice in shaping this books structure and public engagement.
