Forging Trade Ties -- Forgoing Human Rights

"We highly appreciate the proactive stance of the new Canadian government in promoting the improvement and development of bilateral relations."

"Cooperation between the two countries in trade, energy, and cultural exchanges has yielded fruitful results, and has brought tangible benefits to the people of both nations."  

"Looking ahead, China and Canada should translate the important consensus reached by our leaders into concrete actions and work together to steer our relations back to  healthy, stable, and sustainable path." 

Yang Wanming, president, Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign countries 

 

"[While the world is going through] a period of profound global upheaval, an era shaped by shifting geopolitics and economic volatility, within this uncertainty, there is also opportunity."

"This is one of our most consequential trading relations."

"[Canada is committed to working with China] as we look to address trade challenges and advance cooperation to shape a forward-looking economic relationship."

"[We] can help China simultaneously meet its growing energy needs and climate goals."                                                                                                                                     Canadian ambassador to China Jennifer May   

Prime Minister Mark Carney shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the start of a meeting in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Oct. 31. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

As the Canadian Liberal government wrestles with the trade and political relations problems the second iteration of a Donald Trump presidency in Washington has brought to the fore, the search for new international trade partners has seen Canada finding it suddenly expedient to warm relations with the People's Republic of China, after an interval of frosty relations. The reasons for which have been many and compelling. Not the least of which, but the most recent as it were, Beijing's interference in Canadian politics during elections.

 

There have been other recent issues; the arrest and detention and imprisonment of two Canadians in China known as the 'two Michaels' (Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor) in 2018, held for several years in extremely rough conditions as purported spies. This was an illustration of Beijing's 'hostage-diplomacy' in retaliation to the arrest of Huawai's chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou on a U.S. warrant, for extradition to the U.S. to stand trial on criminal charges. Other Canadians faced charges related to drugs, leading to death sentences. 

 

Chinese cyber threats in Canada, the regime's threats against Chinese Canadians, its infiltration of academia, along with wholesale thefts of sensitive government and private industry initiatives, the most notorious of which was Nortel where former Chinese national employees lifted sensitive internal documents taken to China enabling groups like Huawai to profit from a successful global enterprise whose operations were repeated in China leading to the collapse of the Canadian firm.

Xiangguo Qiu wears a biocontainment suit while working in the containment lab at the National Microbiology Lab (NML) in Winnipeg. Qiu, her biologist husband Keding Cheng, and her students were escorted out of the NML in July 2019. Qiu and Cheng were fired in January 2021. The RCMP is still investigating a possible 'policy breach' reported by the Public Health Agency of Canada. (CBC)

 

Another operation of industrial espionage took place at the Winnipeg-based National Microbiology Laboratory linked to the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health, when two Chinese nationals employed at the facility, Dr. Xiangguo Oju and Keding Cheng, her husband, illegally sent vials of infectious materials back to China in 2019; they and their Chinese students were escorted out of the lab, on suspicion of stealth of scientific data which ended up at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

 

Relations between Canada and China under Liberal-led governments in Canada have always flourished. Former Prime Minister Jean Chretien led countless trade missions to China, and on his retirement from government working for a prestigious Canadian law firm, became their point man for China through his many high-level government contacts. Under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau relations were on-again, off-again, with his government yearning to restore trade relations despite setbacks.

 

The current leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and now current prime minister, Mark Carney, whose business background with Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. has warm, profitable relations with China has now once again reinstated relations with China. Mr. Carney has accepted an invitation by Beijing to visit China at "a mutually convenient time", for the purpose of strengthening bilateral ties; read that trade issues of immense importance to Canada, although for China these are fungible trade issues.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has committed to tackling ‘irritants’ with Chinese President XI Jinping as the two countries had their first formal leader-to-leader contact since 2017. Carney was also invited by Xi for a state visit.  Still from video/CBC

 

The Canadian embassy in Beijing arranged a reception to mark the 55th anniversary of the founding of diplomatic ties between Canada and China, co-hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, a state-linked organization. At a meeting last month in the Republic of Korea, the two leaders, Prime Minister Carney and President Xi Jinping congenially agreed to reopen warming talks toward improved relations.

 

That meeting during the Asia-Pacific Economic Economic Leaders' Meeting in Gyeongju marked the first meeting between Canadian and Chinese leaders since 2017. The leaders "agreed that their meeting marked a turning point in the bilateral relationship", with both leaders directing their officials to work toward resolving outstanding trade issues, primarily seafood, canola and electric vehicles. They spoke as well of clean and conventional energy, climate change, manufacturing and international finance.

Even with strained relations, China is Canada's second-largest trading partner after the United States. China is the second-largest source of imports, second-largest export market. A thaw in relations between the two countries will certainly benefit Canada. In the same token, China's human rights record with respect to the Uyghurs...Canada went so far as to pass a motion in the House of Commons condemning the People's Republic of China for 'genocide' against its Uyghur population.

 

China takes advantage of both Canadian products and expertise, including education, financial services and sustainable infrastructure for clean conventional energy. Beijing is also interested in increasing energy resources such as oil and gas, from Canada. For China, it is Canadian raw materials and its abundance of natural mineral resources that draws its interest. For Canada it is finished products that come from China that form the bulk of its imports.  

"Fifty-five years [since former Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau opened Canada up to China] is a milestone that invites us to reflect on our history, what we have achieved together, and how we navigated deeply complex and changing times."

"I want to be very clear that we are here to build this relationship and to build it strong."

Jennifer May, Canadian ambassador to China 

China controls the world's largest reserves of rare earth elements, and now it's tightening its grip. China's export restrictions are giving it powerful leverage over the United States and U.S. President Donald Trump is determined to catch up. Images provided by Getty Images, The Canadian Press and Reuters.