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The Chinese-Canadian diaspora, a vast and diverse population now 1.2 million strong, trickled into Canada across several generations and has never been known for its strong attachment to China. It was a nation marked by poverty, chaos, civil war, occupation and communism — hardly the conditions to spark affinity.

But now, as China moves closer to regaining status as a global power, its overseas community has begun fostering a new emotional bond with its homeland. The Olympic Games, in particular, have given Chinese Canadians a focal point, one that has many simultaneously spilling over with pride at China's success and frustration with the West's lingering focus on perceived Chinese failings.

"The Olympics by itself is an embodiment of a sort of Chinese coming-out party," said Cheuk Kwan, who said excitement has been mounting throughout the diaspora since China was awarded the Games in 2001.

"The Chinese are looking at the Olympic Games as the kind of washing off of all humiliation and bad things that China used to represent," he said. "Chinese Canadians still hold dear the fact that they are Chinese. When China becomes a super nation, they feel proud. They feel that their status in society is tied directly to how China is being thought of on the world stage."

Mr. Kwan, who appears regularly on community radio shows also says he recently began to notice a profound shift in the attitude of his listeners. They still light up his phone lines with fervour, though now it is to inform him that criticism he might make of the Chinese system has become tantamount to slighting the Chinese people.

What do you think? What has changed? Mr. We're pleased Mr. Kwan will join us for a live discussion Monday until 3 p.m. ET. Send your questions now and read the answers at the bottom of this page.

Cheuk Kwan was born in Hong Kong and grew up in Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. After earning his master's degree in systems engineering in the U.S., he immigrated to Canada in 1976 where he embarked upon a successful career in information technology.

His international upbringing gave the multilingual Mr. Kwan — he speaks English, Japanese, French and several Chinese dialects — an early start in world travel and opportunities to meet people from several countries. His career later brought him to the U.S., Saudi Arabia, and back to Japan and Hong Kong.

Back home in Canada, the community activist founded The Asianadian, a magazine dedicated to the promotion of Asian Canadian arts, culture and politics in 1978. The following year, he helped lead a nation-wide fight for equality for Chinese Canadians. He is presently the chair of the Toronto Association for Democracy in China.

Editor's Note: globeandmail.com editors will read and allow or reject each question/comment. Comments/questions may be edited for length or clarity. HTML is not allowed. We will not publish questions/comments that include personal attacks on participants in these discussions, that make false or unsubstantiated allegations, that purport to quote people or reports where the purported quote or fact cannot be easily verified, or questions/comments that include vulgar language or libellous statements. Preference will be given to readers who submit questions/comments using their full name and home town, rather than a pseudonym.

Christine Diemert: Thanks for joining us today Mr. Kwan. We've got a lot of questions, so I'll just get started.

Charles Burton from St Catharines: When Canadians express concern about the situation of Tibetans or Uyghurs or believers in religion in China, some ethnic Chinese often dismiss these claims on the basis that the Canadians are 'anti-China' or 'don't understand China.' So we get no reasoned response, but are instead charged with racism and ignorance.

What can Canadians do to on the one hand to stand for those who are suffering from injustice in China and on the other to avoid making these ethnic Chinese feel so offended?

Cheuk Kwan: Unfortunately there's no easy solution because mainland Chinese, and by extension, Chinese Canadian immigrants often do not distinguish the three separate entities: Chinese people, Chinese as a nation, and the Chinese government. And that distinction is not made very clear by the Chinese-language media in Canada, where most immigrants still get their news. This is especially serious with the introduction of CCTV, the state Chinese television broadcaster, into our cable system who will beam one-sided pro-Chinese government news coverage into Canadian homes. I think Canadians should continue to make their voices heard, and let these Chinese Canadians know that a criticism of China's government does not equate itself to offending the Chinese people.

Fergus Macduff from elgin United Kingdom: i think the new Chinese nationalism is a bad thing for the west and in fact the world. a lot of china's and and chinese resentment against the west is self-delusion; the nation's leaders cause a lot of self inflicted pain on the nation and the people. to blame the west for everything china has gone through is wrong. of course our technology is helping them miss their own industrial revolution allowing them move right into the 21rst century. i think another big issue facing the west is that the chinese diaspora feels itself to be more chinese than canadian/australian/american etc. this is one of the big failures of multiculturalism. it will be interesting what happens when the inevitable trade or other kind of conflicts arise which side the diaspora will fall on.

Cheuk Kwan: You are quite right, it is very self-delusional. As I said in the question before to Mr. Burton, the recent Chinese immigrants often tend to identify more with their homeland. But this is not unique to the Chinese. Jewish Canadians, of many generations, often are very vocal defenders of the state of Israel.

Do you think that is also a failure of multiculturalism? We have to be careful here. Often people have the mistaken impression that multiculturalism refers only to visible minority communities, and this borders on racism.

My point is, when Chinese Canadians want to help their "homeland" they get branded as not loyal to Canada, and yet, Jewish Canadians are not seen as disloyal to Canada just because they help raise funds for the United Jewish Appeal defence fund.

Chris Mason from Toronto: Hi Mr. Kwan, I do not know if I speak for all non Chinese Canadians but my comments and concerns are heartfelt and are likely shared by many. I believe China is doing fantastic on the global stage. As the article states, the average Chinese family is doing much better now than 10 years ago. Out of the 195 recognized countries China has a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council. There are 5 of these. It's safe to say a majority would love a piece of the Chinese pie in terms of trade. China has been given the summer Olympic Games. In face of all this success the average Chinese Canadian STILL seems to believe that Canada and "The West" is trying to hold it back down and that we don't seem to want to recognize the positive changes that China has going for it. Personally, my big problem with this situation is twofold. First off, Congratulations and welcome to the spotlight, you have asked for it, earned it and now you have it. Being criticized comes with having the worlds spotlight on you and being a world power. Second, what Chinese Canadians are missing or don't choose to see is that Chinese civilians are still routinely being killed and jailed by their government for freedom of expression. This speaks to where my heart is. Freedom of expression is FUNDIMENTAL to the west. There is not much that can trump it! It literally is a pillar of Canadian and indeed western civilization and an enormous challenge to overlook it, regardless of other progress being made.

Cheuk Kwan: I agree with you completely. The whole notion of China as a victim, or the fact that the West picks on China, is encouraged by the current Chinese regime to keep its people in their place, and to keep the regime in power. Chinese people, and many Chinese Canadians, have been raised with these notions in mind, so it is quite natural that they feel that any criticism on China (which of course we know is directed to the Chinese regime) is an insult to them personally. China as the upcoming super-power has to learn how to take criticisms properly (not that the other super-power, USA, knows how to do it either) before it can call itself "entering the world stage."

Marc C from Calgary: I have no problem with Chinese-Canadians showing pride in their ethnic heritage, I acknowledge that Canada treated the first wave of immigrants very badly, and I will certainly attest to the fact that the vast majority are decent people who I am glad to have as fellow citizens. But I'm afraid I just don't understand why they have become so resentful when 'non-Chinese' Canadians criticize China for its still-dismal human rights record. It's not like we are blaming Chinese-Canadians for the failures of the government of China. The Olympics OUGHT to be a source of pride for China, and certainly the country has shown it is quite capable of building fancy facilities and producing some fine athletes. However, why are we non-Chinese Canadians so wrong to criticize China's human rights record, even during the Olympics?

Cheuk Kwan: This goes back to my answers in the questions before. It comes from centuries of being a weak nation and being victimized by foreign powers, so Chinese, and many Chinese Canadians, still feel the stigma attached to these historical facts. That's why they feel so strongly about Tibet, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau being "returned to the motherland". Again, I have to say that this mentality is only prevalent in recent immigrants.

WL from Canada writes: Given that mainland China is a one-party state, how do you define 'Chinese Nationalism'? Will the average Chinese individual identify themselves with China the nation, or with CCP the party? If, one day, the CCP changes the constitution to allow opposition political parties to organize, challenge, and rule parts of the mainland, and with the military commanded by the office of the president instead of CCP chief, will Chinese nationalism be enough to keep the country from falling into chaos?

Cheuk Kwan: Unfortunately, as long as CCP remains in power, people will always have this equation Chinese people = nation = government. The CCP is a master at using Chinese nationalism to cover its own faults and to remain in power. The torch relay is a case in point.

John Lombard from Beijing: As a Canadian who's lived in China for 15 years, I've noticed a similar trend, but would like to expand upon it a little. Those who left China more than 15 years ago were generally fleeing a China where they really felt oppressed, with little or no hope for positive change. This is particularly true of those who fled the Cultural Revolution, or who were persecuted for simply not being 'politically correct'. Those who leave China today leave a China that is vibrant, and growing rapidly; a China that still has many problems, and abuses...but that is improving steadily. A China where people have real hope that things are going to continue to get better. In 1993, when I arrived in China, the vast majority of Chinese friends who managed to leave China did not come back. They found their lives overseas much better than their lives in China. But today, that trend is reversing; most of my Chinese friends who go overseas end up returning to China, because they feel they have more opportunities here than they do in any other country. My question/comment: besides the changes that Mr. Kwan has noted, has he noticed any conflict/schism between pre- and post-Cultural Revolution Chinese in Canada? In my experience, those Chinese who experienced the Cultural Revolution, and then left China, tend to harbour (understandably) strong feelings of bitterness and hatred for the government that did this to them; whereas those who were born after it, and have had a stronger experience of 'modern China', tend to be quite supportive of and defensive of the Chinese government. Is the current change that Mr. Kwan notes a universal one...or does it apply more to the younger generation?

Cheuk Kwan: I think this trend is fairly universal. The older emigrants left a country that was in disarray (be it the Qing Dynasty, the civil war, the Sino-Japanese war, or post-1949 Communism), and they had no choice but to flee for their own survival. The newer immigrants into Canada, those who came in the 1990s are here more for opportunities, and when the opportunities are opening up back in China, they would go back.

You will probably notice that there are many second and third-generation Chinese Canadians who go to work in China. This has nothing to do with politics, or their loyalty, but purely an economic and an adventurous move. There's also another trend, that is, in the post-1989 Tiananmen Square massacre China, the government had been paying a lot of attention on "patriotic education", thereby obliterating the events of June 4, 1989 and the student movement from national collective memory. As a result, you have the thirty year olds like Mr. Lao (quoted in the article) who organized the Parliament Hill demonstration who have been raised in this atmosphere and in a sense, with apologies to Mr Lao, "brain-washed" by the government.

Joice Farias-Daniel from Florianopolis Brazil: Dear Mr. Kwan, In what way do Chinese celebrations (like the Olympic opening and Chinese New Year) strengthen the feeling of belonging to China?

Cheuk Kwan: Festivities like Chinese New Year are more cultural. But the Olympic Opening Ceremony has been completely politicized by the regime to showcase a "perfect" China (viz lip-synch and animated fireworks footage). The Chinese just don't understand that the West will not think less of them if they have a less-than perfect-looking little girl singing the song, or that the live fireworks is being clouded over. But this is what the current regime (or at least the older leaders) do not understand. That's why they are shooting themselves on the foot.

D Mores from GTA: Dear Mr Kwan, thank you for taking questions today. I am curious to know how Canada's opinion of China compares with how other countries view China. I am appalled at the negative opinions expressed in the media about China. During these Olympics for example, we have heard about smog, human rights, and a general media 'uproar' of negative sentiment. Hardly any positive opinions are expressed about China. I would have expected that Canada's cultural values would bring some appreciation of the challenges this nation is confronting, and to recognize China's successes. Instead, Canadians appear almost rude. Is that the case in other countries?

Cheuk Kwan: I think in general you will find the pre-Olympic coverage by media outlets such as The Globe and Mail has been fair and balanced (see reporting by Geoffrey York). There has been substantial ink spilled over "modern China" (G&M even had a supplement featuring China, the economic giant, a year ago) and there has also been enough balancing stories on human rights, environment etc.

So I disagree with many critics over "Western reporting bias". Obviously there has been individual cases of bias. A case in point is a German TV investigative documentary (broadcast on BBC, I believe) that revealed a Chinese doctors who were willing to give doping drugs to a fake American swimmer (its a case of journalist entrapment). My problem with this is that every country has its own unscrupulous doctors and trainers (including our neighbour to the south), so why do the story on this Chinese doctor, and why now, weeks before the Games?

rusty shackleford from Canada: the article characterizes Chinese Canadians as not having much affinity with China and that is what I used to think until I read the antagonistic, Han-chauvinistic, China-first commentaries emanating supposedly from Chinese-Canadians on the subject of the Beijing Olympics. Now I am concerned that second and third-generation Chinese Canadians and Hong-Kong Chinese have fabricated a romantic and delusional superiority/inferiority complex.

Cheuk Kwan: Many of these Chinese Canadians are recent immigrants from Mainland China. Their upbringing, their "patriotic education", and their possible lack of understanding of a civil society with human rights and democracy, sometimes prevent them from thinking clearly. And the emotions and sentiments overtake reasons. I think you will find older immigrants, and of course, Canadian-born, to be less China-chauvinistic. As for Han-chauvinism, it is quite an entrenched sentiment when you grow up in China (or Hong Kong, or Macau), it is like racism in the West. It takes generations to get over it.

Michael Bednarski from Toronto: I would like to know in terms of ideology which aspects of communism that remains in China. How do Chinese Canadians feel about the Chinese government's shift to an ethno-nationalistic authoritarian rule that still has a veneer of communism? Will democracy ever come to China?

Cheuk Kwan: China is now heavily into Confucianism as a propaganda tool. Don't forget Communist China once banned Confucius. But now, you have China-sponsored Confucius Institute opening up all around the world (there are quite a few in Canada). This is CCP's way of diverting attention from their own woes, and also, by advocating Confucianism to replace Communism, they are hoping to continue to instill a sense of loyalty among Chinese people for their rulers - which is one of the central tenets of Confucianism, obedience to authority and respect for the aged (presumably, aging CCP leaders!)

Dan G. from toronto: Hi Mr. Kwan, Thank you for taking our questions today. I am a second generation Chinese-Canadian and I feel a strong sense of community with other Chinese-Canadians, but many of us were born here in Canada and have never even visited China. We don't speak Chinese very well and cannot read or write in Chinese. Unlike our parents, we do not see China as our homeland. It then seems artificial for those in my generation to claim to any sense of nationalism towards China. What do you feel is the attitude of second generation Chinese-Canadians towards the increasing power and influence of China and how do you think this will change for future generations?

Cheuk Kwan: Very good question, and this is something that I have issue with The Globe and Mail article. It does not reflect one half of the community -- all those who were interviewed are immigrants. That's why I don't like the use of "homeland" in the headline, because for many Chinese Canadians, their homeland is Canada, with exactly your kind of sentiments. I think we all have affinity with Chinese culture, and that's about it. But with a resurging China, it does give Chinese Canadians a sense of cultural and ethnic pride.

Springfire fromShenZheng China: Mr. Kwan said: 'because mainland Chinese, and by extension, Chinese Canadian immigrants often do not distinguish the three separate entities: Chinese people, Chinese as a nation, and the Chinese government.' Do I hear it right? Essentially Mr. Kwan is saying that these Chinese are just stupid. Who the hell you are, Mr. Kwan to judge that?

Cheuk Kwan: Dear Springfire, I feel sorry for you if you don't understand what I am trying to say. Many Chinese, perhaps you included, have been conditioned by centuries of history and by your current government into thinking the three entities are the same.

Dick Chan from Toronto: I like the response of Carol Huynh's father to a stereotypical question: "don't you feel special because it is in China your daughter won the gold medal". He said: "I don't think it that way because, you know, I am in Canada for almost 30 years. I am a Canadian now."

I believe the silent majority of Chinese Canadians feel the same as he does. Some Chinese Canadians, like myself, actually feel ashamed because the CCP regime had to lie to get the right to host the Olympics and all the fakery and the military-camp like atmosphere in Beijing. Where is the Olympic spirit in Beijing Olympics?

Cheuk Kwan: I agree with you. Unfortunately people do not often distinguish between Chinese as an ethnic race and Chinese as a nationality. It's like saying to an Anglo-Australian whether he feels proud that his daughter wins a swimming gold in the upcoming London Olympics.

Christine Diemert: Thanks for joining us today Mr. Kwan. Before we close, was there anything you'd like to add?

Cheuk Kwan: I want to thank everyone for their participation. I am encouraged that the article has generated a very interesting discussion. Thanks to you all.