Canada-China Relations Committee on Aug. 11th, 2020

[Leona Alleslev, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

I want to explore that just a bit more.

Would it be fair to characterize it in the sense that China certainly has a whole-of-country approach to achieving the objectives they're trying to achieve through the national security law, through the foreign interference, through the undermining of international multilateral institutions?

We, then, in return should also have a whole-of-government perspective, where we're looking at it with a sovereignty, a security, an economic, an academic and a human rights lens so that we have that central point of contact so that we can understand the integration and the interdependence of all of those things and understand how they're working in coordination. Is that fair?

[Sophie Richardson]

I think you just wrote the job description.

Beijing's approach is not a whole-of-government approach, implying that it's merely a domestic matter. It's a whole-of-globe approach.

[Leona Alleslev, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

That's fair.

[Sophie Richardson]

I think one of the most urgent needs for rights-respecting governments in the coming few years is to map out for the coming decade, at least, which is hard for democracies to do, how to present a counterweight to these threats, rather than individual, piecemeal, this government doing this, that one doing that. Sometimes things happen—

[Leona Alleslev, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Could I say that it's not only legislation but also enforcement, policy and procedures, and civilian and corporate attitudes and behaviours?

[Sophie Richardson]

It's all of the above.

I have not yet written something on this. You're prompting me to commit to doing that and sharing it with you.

[Leona Alleslev, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Please do, and I would ask, of course, for you to table it back to the committee.

I sincerely thank you for all the research and homework that you've already done.

[Sophie Richardson]

You're welcome.

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

That's a very good way for us to conclude.

I know that all colleagues would echo that and thank all of the witnesses. We are very grateful to you for appearing today.

Our next meeting will be at the same time on Thursday.

Thank you all, colleagues. This meeting is now adjourned.