Why Did the Former McKinsey Chairman and Canadian Ambassador to China Suddenly Resign?

Analysis Suggests China Unrelated to US Olympic Boycott... Ambassador Barton Says "Boycott Should Be Considered Carefully"
Australia Joins After US Boycott Declaration... Canada, Germany, Japan Weighing Pros and Cons

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] Dominic Barton, the Canadian Ambassador to China, has resigned, according to Chinese media reports.

Barton, who previously served as the Global Chairman of McKinsey & Company, was appointed as the Canadian Ambassador to China in 2019 when relations between China and Canada severely deteriorated due to the detention of Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's Vice Chairwoman. Barton is known as a pro-China and pro-Asia figure, having served alongside Wang Qishan, Vice President of China, as a member of the Advisory Board of Tsinghua University's School of Management.

Chinese state media such as the Global Times cited Canadian local media 'Toronto Star' on the 8th, reporting that Ambassador Barton expressed his intention to resign and that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accepted his resignation.

Chinese media analyze that Barton's resignation is not unrelated to the U.S. boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics. Citing Barton's interview with the Toronto Star, Chinese media reported that he advocated a cautious approach to the boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics. He stated, "The Beijing Winter Olympics will be held as scheduled under any circumstances," and added, "A diplomatic boycott involving only athletes should be carefully considered," according to Chinese media.

Yao Feng, Deputy Director of the Canada Research Center at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, suggested that "Barton's resignation came at a time when U.S. pressure and anti-China policies in Canadian politics were intensifying," and estimated that Barton likely found it difficult to exert political influence to improve China-Canada relations any longer.

Seemingly concerned about such speculation, Barton told the Toronto Star that he was resigning because two key missions assigned to him had been completed, and that the resignation was entirely his own decision. He added that resolving the detention of Meng Wanzhou and the two Canadians (Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor) arrested on espionage charges was a core mission.

Senior Researcher Yang Xiyu of the China Institute of International Studies stated, "Considering the Canadian political environment, there was probably no choice but to resign," and argued, "A successor with an objective view of China should be appointed, and the successor should act according to Canada's interests, not those of the United States."

Meanwhile, after the United States officially declared a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics citing human rights issues in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison also expressed his intention to join, causing the boycott issue to spread rapidly.

Olaf Scholz, the designated German Chancellor, is reportedly considering whether to join the diplomatic boycott, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has left open the possibility of joining the boycott, stating he will make an independent judgment from the perspective of national interests.

In response, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs showed a strong reaction, warning of "resolute countermeasures" against the U.S. diplomatic boycott announcement of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated at a regular briefing the previous day, "We express strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to the U.S. side," adding, "We have lodged a stern representation (protest) with the United States and will take resolute countermeasures in the future."