Vancouver mayor brings a big name on business hunting trip

By the time most Chinese children reach middle school, they would have read, recited and memorized the eulogy of Canadian doctor Norman Bethune.

Known for his time spent alongside Mao Zedong and the Eighth Route Army treating wounded soldiers in the hills of Shaanxi province during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, Bethune helped bring the earliest forms of blood transfusion technology to China.

His dedication to the cause earned him hero status in the formative years of modern China and spurred Mao to write In Memory of Norman Bethune, an essay still found in elementary textbooks throughout China.