Canada-China Relations Committee on Feb. 5th, 2020

[Jean Yip, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Thank you very much, Ms. Yip.

Now we'll go to Mr. Albas for three minutes, which will take us to the end of our time.

Mr. Albas.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Ambassador.

Just quickly on Huawei, public safety minister Bill Blair has suggested that security concerns will no longer be the only thing the government considers. To me, that means they will be considering things other than security, so that could be political. Would you be involved in any decision regarding that? Would you be advising Bill Blair or the government, in your capacity, as to what the political issues would be of denying Huawei access to our 5G?

[Dominic Barton]

As I mentioned before, I am not involved. As I mentioned, on the technical side, I'm the wrong person. You need to have people who really understand the technology. It's not my area.

On the political—

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

[Inaudible—Editor] officials.

[Dominic Barton]

I think the Canadian government has the right people looking at 5G and the security issues who can actually address that.

On the political side, this is a decision that will have to be made. Whichever way it goes, there will be consequences, and I'll have to live with whatever the consequences are. I'm not involved in the—

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

I think all of us will be living with the consequences, Ambassador.

You mentioned to the committee earlier that Canadian values are very important to you and that you would defend universal and inalienable human rights. Yet when MP Genuis asked you about universal suffrage in Hong Kong, you replied that the government believes in one country, two systems in response. How are the two consistent?

[Dominic Barton]

On this I would say that we have relationships with different countries in what we do. We as a government subscribe to the model of one country, two systems, so—

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

[Inaudible—Editor] protest and the response by the authorities in Hong Kong to take democratic protesters expressing their will, or their wanting to maintain their system of two systems, and to be treated like that, you must admit there is a concern regarding human rights and violation of their rights.

[Dominic Barton]

Again, we follow the one country, two systems model. We are concerned. We want to enable people to be able to protest and to be able to share their views, and where they have...and I think we've been very open about that. We hope they come to some peaceful resolution on it, but it's one country, two systems. We want people to express their views and not have that stopped. We've said that.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

You mentioned that coronavirus may be around longer than we think. You also mentioned that we have 650 people in greater China, which I would assume would also include Taiwan. Should Taiwan be included in international fora like the World Health Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization? Do you believe that would be helpful?

[Dominic Barton]

Again, we follow the one China policy. I think on issues like health and pandemics and so forth that are affecting other people, we encourage the participation of all people who would be affected in it.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Thank you very much, Mr. Albas.

Thank you very much, Ambassador and Mr. Steil, for appearing today. Thank you for your work. I think we would all agree that we would like you to take our best wishes to Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor, whom we hope to see home soon, and also take our best wishes to Mr. Schellenberg.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

And Mr. Celil.

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

And Mr. Celil, Mr. Genuis adds. Indeed.

Thank you so much.

[Dominic Barton]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Colleagues, Global Affairs has informed me that Mr. Harris's issue is addressed in the information package that the clerk received earlier today. That will be distributed in the morning, so we can look forward to seeing that.

I would remind colleagues that there is a subcommittee meeting tomorrow morning from 11 to 12, room 225A in West Block.

We've had I think four responses to a survey that was sent to members. I'd encourage members, if you have a moment tonight, to respond to the survey sent to you by the clerk.

Thank you, colleagues.

This meeting is adjourned.