Canada-China Relations Committee on May 3rd, 2021

Evidence of meeting #25 for Canada-China Relations in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was universities.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Canada-China Relations

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Lynette H. Ong Associate Professor of Political Science, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto, As an Individual

Clerk of the Committee Ms. Marie-France Lafleur

Richard Fadden As an Individual

Gordon Houlden Director Emeritus, China Institute, University of Alberta, As an Individual

Paul Evans Professor, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, University of British Columbia, As an Individual

Justin Li Director, National Capital Confucius Institute for Culture, Language and Business, Carleton University, As an Individual

Ward Elcock As an Individual

9:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Geoff Regan

Thank you very much, Mr. Bergeron.

Now we will go to Mr. Harris for two minutes, please.

9:35 p.m.

NDP

Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'll go back to you, Mr. Elcock. Perhaps you can take the opportunity now to elaborate on what you were saying. I hope you haven't lost your train of thought. We were talking about investment and concerns about the future in terms of relations with China on that score. Would you care to carry on?

9:35 p.m.

As an Individual

Ward Elcock

Mr. Chairman, China is a reality. It is a major economic power in the world. It is likely that Canada will have to deal with China on some level. Just as the Americans have now indicated that they will deal with China on climate change, we will likely have to deal with China on climate change and other issues.

The reality is that if we are to be a participant in the Chinese market, at some level we will have to find accommodations if—

9:35 p.m.

NDP

Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL

Should we be selective, from a strategic point of view?

9:35 p.m.

As an Individual

Ward Elcock

I think we have to be very careful about how we.... Yes, I think we should be selective—that is, from a strategic point of view—but the reality for Canada even today is that a lot of canola farmers would like to sell their canola to China and a lot of pork farmers would like to sell their pork to China.

The issue of relationships with China already exists. It is something that we will have to manage, but it is obviously something we should manage very carefully, given the nature of China and given its practices, which are not entirely in accord with our view of multinational institutions in many ways.

I do think that Canada has to exercise oversight over much of what we do with China and how we do it.

9:35 p.m.

NDP

Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL

Thank you, sir. I think our time is up.

9:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Geoff Regan

Yes, our time is up, but thank you very much, Mr. Li and Mr. Elcock. We appreciate your appearance this evening.

Colleagues, thank you.

The meeting is adjourned.