Une sinophilie en étincelles Les « amis » de la Chine au Québec dans les années 1970

Abstract

In the mid-1970s, two associations dedicated to fostering relations with China existed concurrently in Montreal: the Société Canada-Chine and Amitiés Québec-Chine ; their members called themselves “friends” of China. Coming from a wide variety of social, economic, and political backgrounds, they formed, along with Maoists, a circle of sinophiles who sought to have an impact on Quebec society through privileged links with China. Focusing on these actors, this article sheds light on the evolution of sinophilia in Quebec in the 1970s, which arose from the encounter between an intellectual and diplomatic tendency inside the English-speaking elite and the social and political movements that were shaking Quebec society, particularly on the French-speaking side.