QUESTION PERIOD — Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Canada-China Relations
May 15, 2020
Honourable senators, my question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate.
Government leader, you may recall in 2014 that Canada’s National Research Council computers were infiltrated by Chinese state-sponsored hacking, costing the Government of Canada at that time hundreds of millions of dollars. Given our experience with China’s communist regime’s attempted theft of intellectual property, trade secrets and other sensitive property, why have we now, through the very same National Research Council, entered into another agreement to develop a vaccine backed by a Chinese company in partnership with China’s Academy of Military Medical Sciences?
Our relationships with China are very complicated. I thank the honourable senator for raising this question and for his continuing engagement with the important issue of Canada-China relations.
The search for a vaccine to deal with this global pandemic is a global search and a global effort. It would be irresponsible for Canada, or any country, to turn its back at least on the possibility that some other country might have some promising vaccines worth exploring and worth testing.
Our government and the agencies that are responsible for these matters at the federal level work with many labs, many countries and the distinguished research community here in Canada to ensure that the protocols that we put in place for testing and for evaluation are at the highest standards to protect the health of Canadians.
Government leader, the Trudeau government constantly says how complicated Canada-Chinese relations are. The reality of the matter is it seems to be very complicated for your government but very simple for Canadians. China doesn’t respect democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and we do.
Government leader, your government purports to be very concerned about Chinese Canadians who are the target of racism and bullying in this age of COVID-19. However, you appear less concerned when that bullying and even violence is perpetrated by Beijing’s proxies right here in Canada, targeting pro-democracy activists of Chinese descent. Last week we saw the state broadcaster CBC attack independent publisher The Epoch Times, which is being run by pro-democracy Canadians of Chinese descent. Will you and your government condemn that?
Any examples of harassment and intimidation of individuals in Canada is deeply troubling and should be for all Canadians. The government takes very seriously any such acts being carried out by foreign agents in this country.
All representatives in this country, Chinese representatives not exempted, have a responsibility and a duty under international and Canadian law to respect our laws and regulations in Canada. We will use every opportunity as a government to call on China to uphold its international obligations, including respecting the commitment that we as Canadians have to freedom of expression, freedom of association, freedom of religion and freedom of belief.