The federal government’s approach to China is “completely naive and completely behind,” says Conservative leaders.
Conservative leader Erin O’Toole said Canada’s next Chinese ambassador must be a “professional diplomat” who can protect Canada’s interests and confront China’s communist regime.
“We need a professional diplomat who can be in Beijing to claim our interests, make sure our voice is heard, and make our voice heard as a country. I think, “Aoutur told the Epoch Times in an interview.
Mr. Outur emphasized that there are suitable candidates to represent Canada, and the two latest ambassadors, John McCallum and Dominic Barton, have been ineffective in their position due to their friendly relationship with Beijing. Said that.
According to 2018, McCallum accepted over $ 73,000 on a trip to China sponsored by the Regime or pro-Beijing Business Group between 2008 and 2015 during his time as a Liberal Party member. Globe and Mail Report..
McCallum later became Minister of Immigration and then Canada’s Ambassador to China. He was dismissed in 2019 after discussing the defense of Huawei CFO Meng Wangzhou, who was under house arrest in the face of fraudulent expulsion to the United States. In Vancouver at that time.
Burton, the successor to McKinsey, was an executive at McKinsey & Company, a management consulting firm that has had extensive transactions with China. During his term as ambassador, Barton held a close relationship between Canada and China in retaliation for Canada’s arrest of Meng Akira, despite Beijing’s arbitrary detention of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. He was criticized for defending.
After the release of two men in September, Barton called for a renewed relationship between Canada and China in an exclusive interview with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) propaganda mouthpiece Global Times. .. “
“We just saw [Prime Minister] Justin Trudeau continues to choose two friends, Burton and McCallum, both of whom have failed to succeed as our ambassadors, “said Outur, Beijing’s recent actions in Canada and China. He added that it makes the relationship more complicated. ..
New strategies for responding to new threats
Mr. Autour said the federal government was “completely naive and completely behind” when it came to developing a modern Chinese strategy that would serve Canada’s interests.
“We have always been very clear. There are great opportunities to build trade and commercial relations with China, which are important for our exports, but at the full sacrifice of our interests and values. You shouldn’t do that, the country, “he said.
Specifically, in parliament, he said his party raised the issue of the Uighur massacre in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Huawei’s threat to Canada’s 5G network, and the protection of democracy in Hong Kong. rice field.
In an interview Global News West Block Program On January 9, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said Canada was developing a new China strategy and urged other countries to reassess Beijing’s relationship with “increasing influence.”
“We need to be able to develop clear strategies in the region for trade, not only for our relationships economically, but also for the values and issues of human rights and democracy,” she said. ..
Mr Trudeau said he had never seen Trudeau or his ministers portray the balance in a proper way.
Ottawa added that Ottawa should make it clear that Beijing-linked Huawei cannot be part of Canada’s 5G infrastructure.
“5G infrastructure is so important to our national security and financial well-being that we need absolute certainty regarding the security of our system,” he said.
He added that Huawei is not considered a regular company because of its relationship with the communist government.
Canada is the only country in the Five Eyes (Intelligence Alliance between Canada, UK, US, Australia and New Zealand) that has not banned or planned to phase out Huawei’s products from 5G networks. ..
More than three months have passed since Trudeau promised a ban decision “in the coming weeks.”
Winnipeg Institute Controversy
In the case of two Chinese scientists fired from Canada’s premier security institute, Winnipeg’s National Microbiology Institute, the Tordeau government’s actions are fatal to the refusal to publish the document and its associated consequences. He said he was “extremely concerned” about the transfer of the virus. Wuhan Institute of Veterinary Medicine in China in 2019.
“Many people are asking what happened at the Winnipeg Institute, and especially how scientists with a very important relationship with the Chinese military could send samples from that Institute. “I will.”
The Liberal government’s decision to bring Speaker Anthony Rota to court in the final parliament, where he ordered the presentation of unedited documents related to the case, creates more public distrust. I added that it was just.
“The more the Trudeau government hides this, the more false information there is,” he said.
Conservative leaders also pointed out concerns about the recent foreign acquisition of Canadian lithium mining company NeoLithium by Chinese state-owned company Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd, which was granted without federal security review. ..
“These types of transactions should be approved for Chinese state-owned enterprises or other state-owned enterprises, as it is not our national interest as a nation to put these resources into the hands of others. Not. “He said.
Election interference
Mr. Outur also expressed concern about the issue of foreign interference in the Canadian elections, saying that some Conservative lawmakers, such as Kenny Chiu, lost their seats in the last election due to some interference.
2020 report Published by Parliamentarians’ National Security and Intelligence Commission, China and Russia have identified China and Russia as “major criminals” in espionage and foreign intervention in Canada.
“The effects of intelligence and foreign intervention are not as obvious as the effects of terrorism, but they are the most serious long-term threat to Canada’s sovereignty and prosperity,” the report said.
Mr. Outur pointed out that the party did not hesitate to criticize the CCP, but the criticism was not directed at the Chinese people.
“When we criticize Beijing’s communist government, we need to make sure that Canadians don’t consider it a criticism of Chinese Canadians,” he said. “There’s a lot to do to improve our next preparation so we don’t get in the way.”
Canada-Resurrection of the Chinese Commission
Mr. Autour said his party would continue to support Canadians, but revived the Commons Commission on Canada-China Relations (CACN) from experts and groups representing Canadian Chinese and the Diaspora in Hong Kong. It has been criticized for not letting it. Parliament.
CACN investigated various topics and issues related to China, such as Beijing’s influence operations in Canada and human rights abuses.
“After work in Afghanistan is complete,” the Commission “is likely to return,” said Mr. Outur, who called for the creation of CACN during his time as Foreign Minister.
A new investigative commission for Afghanistan was set up to consider what happened in Kabul and how to drive Canadians, translators, or contractors still at risk from the Taliban out of the region. rice field.
But according to Tory lawmaker Garnet Genuis, CACN’s return may now come sooner.
Genuis, a former member of the last parliamentary special committee, spoke with The Globe and Mail last week on Twitter on January 17, “after a lot of remorse,” to advocate the return of the committee. Said that he did.
“Since that interview, I’ve been told that conservatives will work to revive the committee. This is good news,” Genuis said. Said..
The Epoch Times asked the Prime Minister’s Office for comment, but did not respond by the time it was published.
Noé Charter, Andrew Chen, Vivian Yu, Omid Ghoreishi and Rahul Vaidyanath contributed to this report.
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Isaac Teo is a Toronto-based Epoch Times reporter.