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david mulroney

There is a word to describe how Canadians feel about the rise of Asia, and it is, "ambivalent." Recent polling by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada shows that although we Canadians are increasingly convinced that Asia is important to us, we are not at all convinced that a changing world order requires changes from us, too. Although the percentage of Canadians who accept the modest proposal of putting more content about Asia in the curriculum has now grown to 50 per cent, a stunning 58 per cent oppose putting more emphasis on Asian languages in the school system.

Over the last few months I have worked with very talented colleagues, as part of the Asia Competence Task Force, to assess how well Canada is preparing for a future in which Asia will be steadily more important to us. The short answer from our report: not as well as we could and should be.

When it comes to Asian language training at the primary and secondary levels, we found only scattered pockets of activism, notably in Vancouver, Edmonton and Toronto. But even this is largely focused on Mandarin, and is strongly linked to the dedication and commitment of parents of Chinese heritage.

This stands in sharp contrast to national efforts being mounted in Australia and New Zealand, countries that are working hard to prepare their young people to compete and succeed in a changing world. While the United States has no similar national strategy, much good work is being done in response to President Barack Obama's 2009 call to have 100,000 young Americans travel to China for studies over the next four years. Countries such as France and Germany, home to much smaller Asian diaspora communities than Canada boasts, have mounted ambitious programs, mainly focused on expanding Mandarin instruction in their school systems.

Why aren't we seeing similar ambition in Canada? The fact that education in Canada is a provincial responsibility makes it difficult (but not impossible) for a national leader to offer an inspiring call to study Asian languages and cultures, as has been done to good effect in Australia, New Zealand and the United States. Nor are future employers speaking up. The private sector clearly values people with the on-the-ground experience and language skills needed to operate in Asia. But, as a senior banker told me, companies can currently find all the talent they need among the ranks of newly arrived immigrants. This plays to existing strengths in Toronto and Vancouver, while other parts of the country fall behind. It also leaves us unprepared should immigration trends change over time.

But there is something more fundamental at work here. Polling shows that as our enthusiasm for engaging Asia is decreasing, our concerns about China in particular are increasing. Surprisingly, the number of Canadians who think that we are actually part of the Asia Pacific region has shrunk, down to a discouraging 18 per cent from last year's very modest 29 per cent. This explains why we aren't hearing more political leaders encouraging us to prepare for an Asia-centric future.

It is no wonder that parents and students are not clamouring to undertake the hard work of studying an Asian language, something that, in the absence of any competing rationale, can seem like a drag on an academic average and a dubious path to future employment.

Meanwhile, Asia, led by a rising China, is increasingly central to our future prosperity. This is part of our daily experience as growing numbers of tourists, students, investors and immigrants bring new vitality to communities across the country.

Ambivalence in the face of change is understandable, as are concerns about countries like China, whose rise present us with challenges as well as opportunities. But it is the business of governments to lead, not to follow. Learning about a country like China does not mean agreeing with its policies or acquiescing in everything that China does. Equipping young Canadians with the skills to understand and succeed in Asia is an investment in our future, and the single best way of ensuring that we continue to control our own agenda in a changing world.

We need to move from ambivalence to competence in facing our increasingly Asian future.

David Mulroney is a Distinguished Fellow of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and a Senior Distinguished Fellow of the Munk School of Global Affairs. He was Canada's Ambassador to China from 2009-2012, and co-chaired the Asia Competence Task force.

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