QUESTION PERIOD — Foreign Affairs
Detention of Canadians in China
December 10, 2019
Honourable senators, my question is for the government leader in the Senate.
I draw the attention of honourable senators to comments made last week by the Chinese Ambassador to Canada, in which he condemned a motion to be brought forward by Senator Ngo and myself, without even seeing the text. Before even a word of debate has taken place, the ambassador threatened firm countermeasures against Canada. These comments illustrate how China believes it can treat any democracy like it treats the people of Hong Kong — with bullying and intimidation.
I believe it’s incumbent upon the Government of Canada to stand up for the rights of parliamentarians to do their work and show the Chinese regime that this type of aggressive behaviour cannot win out.
Senator Harder, can you please tell us if Global Affairs will call in the Ambassador of China and explain to him that it is unacceptable to be issuing threats against parliamentarians and against Canada?
I thank the honourable senator for his question. Given the nature of the question, I, of course, will have to ask Global Affairs whether they have already done so or intend to do that.
For my part, I have met with the ambassador and expressed my views with respect to what the appropriate interaction ought to be.
Honourable Senator Harder, you are the Government Leader in the Senate and it is incumbent upon you to answer questions, not for us to seek departmental answers.
Honourable senators, December 10 is designated as Human Rights Day by the United Nations. Unfortunately, it is also the one-year anniversary of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig being illegally detained and incarcerated without due process by China. I also want to highlight that, over the last six months, China has trampled over pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, who have been met with tear gas and batons by the Chinese regime.
Honourable senators, with regret, I would also like to point out that the Chinese, over the last few months, have incarcerated millions of Muslim minorities in China simply because of their desire for freedom of religion. The Chinese regime calls them “education camps,” but we know in reality what they are.
Government Leader, at what point will the government understand that our policy of appeasement towards China and kowtowing to all their demands is not working? When will the Canadian government take some real action?
I thank the honourable senator for his question. I, of course, totally disagree and dismiss his suggestion that the Government of Canada is kowtowing or otherwise dismissing the concerns that he’s raised. It is quite the opposite. The Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and other appropriate ministers have, at the highest levels, engaged with China and our like-minded partners on a range of issues, some of which he has raised. With respect to the Uighurs, I know the Minister of Foreign Affairs raised this at his first meeting with his counterpart.
With respect to the detention of Canadians, the senator will know, or at least should recall, the actions that the government has taken throughout the course of the last year at various levels and in various fora. This is a very difficult situation for the Michaels, and I, for one, will not do anything or say anything that makes their lives more difficult.
