By Elishya Perera
MONTRÉAL, Québec (CWBN)_ Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Francois-Philippe Champagne, said yesterday (Nov 23) that tough talk on China could damage efforts in seeking the release of the two Canadians, Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, who were arbitrarily detained in China.
The Minister made these remarks before the Canada-China Relations Committee of the House of Commons, and urged MPs to be smart and keep the fate the detainees in mind when declaiming China’s communist regime.
“…while it is easy to be tough, let’s continue to be smart,” Champagne said. “Let’s not fall into the temptation of tough and irresponsible rhetoric that will generate no tangible result for Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, our farmers and entrepreneurs, and human rights victims and advocates.”
Spavor, an entrepreneur, and Kovrig, a former diplomat, were detained following the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, a Chinese Huawei official in Vancouver, on a U.S. extradition request.
Canadian exporters, farmers and fishers have also been affected by retaliatory measures taken by Beijing on account of the arrest, which has severely damaged relations between the two nations.
Just a week ago, the House of Commons passed a motion objecting to Huawei’s involvement in the deployment of 5G wireless network in Canada. The opposition parties, who supported the objection, also called for the government to launch a robust plan to deal with Beijing’s intimidation of Canadians within Canadian borders.
Meanwhile, Conservative Leader, Erin O’Toole, an outspoken campaigner against the ommunist regime, has criticised Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and the Liberal government for being lured by the booming Chinese market and looking right through Beijing’s human rights abuses, trade abuses and security issues.
“Trudeau’s approach to China has failed, and it’s weakened our standing in the world. We must stand up for our citizens who have been detained as bargaining chips in an extradition case, even if it leads to more reprisals from Beijing,” O’Toole said.
He argued that the China of 2020 is not the China of 2015 or 2018, and claimed that the country and its leadership in Beijing is increasingly “prepared to throw its weight around to advance its interests.”
On the other hand, Champagne said that there are instances when Canada has to cooperate with China, such as the fight against climate change, and instances when Canada needs to compete, which includes matters of trade, and also instances when Beijing should be challenged, on issues such as human rights abuses.
Edited By Chathushka Perera
