Evidence of meeting #10 for Canada-China Relations in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was wong.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Davin Wong  Director, Youth Engagement and Policy Initiatives, Alliance Canada Hong Kong
Cherie Wong  Executive Director, Alliance Canada Hong Kong
Gloria Fung  President and Coordinator of a cross-Canada platform for 16 organizations concerned about Hong Kong , Canada-Hong Kong Link
Aileen Calverley  Co-founder and Trustee, Hong Kong Watch
Alex Neve  Secretary General, Amnesty International Canada
Akram Keram  Program Officer for China, National Endowment for Democracy
Sophie Richardson  China Director, Human Rights Watch

1:55 p.m.

Conservative

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?

1:55 p.m.

China Director, Human Rights Watch

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.

1:55 p.m.

Conservative

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

That's fair.

1:55 p.m.

China Director, Human Rights Watch

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—

2 p.m.

Conservative

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?

2 p.m.

China Director, Human Rights Watch

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.

2 p.m.

Conservative

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.

August 11th, 2020 / 2 p.m.

China Director, Human Rights Watch

Sophie Richardson

You're welcome.

2 p.m.

Liberal

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.