A purge of senior generals and deepening concern about China’s wobbling economy have had global Beijing-watchers sniffing for hints of regime fragility.

Skepticism about President Xi Jinping’s hold on power only intensified this month after China resorted to a 20-year prison sentence to silence 78-year-old democracy advocate Jimmy Lai.

Was that a message of deterrence or desperation?

The swirling dramas are noticed here in Canada.

Mark Carney’s description of our new rapport with China as a “strategic partnership” was already causing unease among Canada’s intelligence community and Canadians of Chinese, Tibetan, Uyghur, and Taiwanese background.

They worry there is now an understanding that Ottawa will consciously ignore Beijing’s espionage and influence operations in Canada, its repression of Chinese expats, and its flouting of justice both in China and internationally.

This is on top of doubts about claims that Canada will expand the meagre four-per-cent of our commodity exports that go to China. Based on experience dating back to Jean Chretien, who despite his best........

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