Evidence of meeting #9 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 chinese.
A video is available from Parliament.
5:55 p.m.
Bloc
Stéphane Bergeron Bloc Montarville, QC
It concerned the fact that the Chinese are using product safety and health arguments to apply sanctions.
5:55 p.m.
Former Ambassador of Canada to the People's Republic of China, As an Individual
I may have missed something in the interpretation, but I think we've been reminded through this of China's great willingness to use health as a form of coercion in health measures. It should encourage us to diversify and find other partners, including in things like the development of vaccines.
5:55 p.m.
Liberal
5:55 p.m.
NDP
Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'll ask you your opinion as a private citizen, Mr. Mulroney, given your distinction there, which is good. What kinds of things should Canada have done in relation to Hong Kong? My understanding was that there was hope the rest of China would become more like Hong Kong, etc. Did that change at a certain point, or was it inevitably lost after 1997? What should Canada have done? Is there anything it can do now, with the exception of the Magnitsky sanctions that you talked about, and should they be done in coordination with other nations?
6 p.m.
Former Ambassador of Canada to the People's Republic of China, As an Individual
I was working on Hong Kong in 1997, and I can recall that both Britain and China asked countries like Canada to pledge their ongoing support for the arrangement, ongoing support for the autonomy of Hong Kong institutions. We said we would. Chris Patten thanked Canada, and then we lost the thread. We weren't as supportive.
I'm someone who has been a bit of a critic of our parliamentary exchange with China. I think we could have spent better time focusing on democratic development and the transition of the Hong Kong legislature to something that was truly more representative, but at every pass, I think, again, we were stymied by our concern that somehow this would upset China.
This is a lesson that we have to learn. The end result is that China has essentially consumed Hong Kong. It's another city of south China. The lesson is that it's never too late to push back, but it sure is a lot easier to push back through the process as early as possible.
6 p.m.
NDP
Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL
Where does that leave us now? If we're talking about sanctions being suggested, how do we do that? Do we work with other countries on that, or do we just decide what we think is appropriate and go right ahead?
6 p.m.
Former Ambassador of Canada to the People's Republic of China, As an Individual
I think it's important to work with other countries, which will help to identify.... There was a picture recently of a police officer who was helping me. The thugs who beat up people on a subway train, these are the kinds of people you might begin to target.
I think we also need to look at programs to support the Hong Kong democracy activists in Canada, maybe with scholarships, maybe with funding. That's probably the best way of keeping this dream alive.
6 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Geoff Regan
Thank you very much, Mr. Mulroney.
Thank you, Mr. Harris.
Mr. Mulroney, thank you very much, not only for appearing today, but for your service to this country. I think we all appreciate that very much.
This concludes this portion of the meeting. We now have to go in camera to discuss some committee business. We need to pause, I understand, for approximately 15 minutes. I hope members won't go away for very long. Maybe come back before that, because we have to actually disconnect and then reconnect into the in camera meeting.
We'll see you shortly. Thank you again.
[Proceedings continue in camera]