I very much believe in solidarity amongst like-minded democracies when approaching China in all issue areas. It's absolutely crucial to work together, side by side and not in parallel. I was very interested to read the annexes that Global Affairs Canada provided, in response to previous testimony, in which they claimed they had over a thousand communications with foreign governments in trying to get public support for the two Michaels case. They got 14 countries to speak out. Then there is an interesting list of how they spoke out. Most of those were via tweets. If you're not on Twitter, you don't see them anyway.
This is really lamentable, I think, if not shameful, frankly. It all shows China's real economic power and leverage over other countries. Second, it shows the fear of departing from the engagement paradigm that we have all pursued with China over the last four decades. Whether it's the two Michaels or a number of other issues that are of common concern to OECD countries...and I would again go beyond; this is not just the west we're talking about. Many countries in the global south have difficulties through China's mercantilist trading practices. On a number of security issues in other areas we need to really stand together. Maybe we need an international China summit or something.
China, however, wants to keep these issues behind closed doors. I notice that many of the diplomats who testified here previously said that they were working very hard behind closed doors to press the case of the two Michaels and other issues. Well, that's exactly where China wants to keep it—behind closed doors. Personally, I think going public about China's egregious behaviour on a wide range of issues, whether it be Tibet, the Uighurs, the two Michaels, Liu Xiaobo or you name it.... China just hates being internationally called out publicly and shamed. You have to keep this issue—