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.
8:45 p.m.
Director, National Capital Confucius Institute for Culture, Language and Business, Carleton University, As an Individual
We don't report anything to China. I report only to Canada, to Carleton University.
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Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
You provide no information on your operations—
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Director, National Capital Confucius Institute for Culture, Language and Business, Carleton University, As an Individual
No.
8:45 p.m.
Conservative
8:45 p.m.
Director, National Capital Confucius Institute for Culture, Language and Business, Carleton University, As an Individual
No, we don't report. I'm an employee of Carleton. I don't report to anyone else except Carleton.
8:45 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Thank you, sir.
I just want to identify as well that this committee does have the power to send for documents, and that's something we may choose to do following testimony this evening.
Mr. Li, in the interest of promoting understanding, would you recommend that Carleton University invite the Dalai Lama to come to campus? If the Dalai Lama were to visit Carleton University and you were invited to attend a reception welcoming him, would you choose to attend?
8:50 p.m.
Director, National Capital Confucius Institute for Culture, Language and Business, Carleton University, As an Individual
I'm not in a position to answer this question. I don't take any kind of assumption....
8:50 p.m.
Director, National Capital Confucius Institute for Culture, Language and Business, Carleton University, As an Individual
I am not in a position to answer the question. I don't have the knowledge and I cannot take a question on any kind of assumption.
8:50 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
I'm not sure what kind of knowledge you're talking about here, if you're unfamiliar with the Dalai Lama, or.... I mean, if the university was considering inviting this fairly well-known person.... You mentioned that the centre's mandate is to promote understanding and exchanges in dialogue. What would your recommendation be with respect to an invitation like that?
8:50 p.m.
Director, National Capital Confucius Institute for Culture, Language and Business, Carleton University, As an Individual
I would make my decision when the time came. I cannot make the decision right now.
8:50 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Okay.
Do you believe that the Government of China is failing to adhere to its international human rights obligations? How are human rights abuses by the Government of China discussed in the context of curriculum materials or events hosted by the Confucius Institute at Carleton?
8:50 p.m.
Director, National Capital Confucius Institute for Culture, Language and Business, Carleton University, As an Individual
I'm not aware of any such allegations in the institute at Carleton University.
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Conservative
8:50 p.m.
Director, National Capital Confucius Institute for Culture, Language and Business, Carleton University, As an Individual
I'm not aware of these kinds of allegations in the institute at Carleton University.
8:50 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Okay. I'm not talking about allegations against the institute, though. I'm asking if discussion about Chinese government human rights abuses takes place in the Confucius Institute.
8:50 p.m.
Director, National Capital Confucius Institute for Culture, Language and Business, Carleton University, As an Individual
I heard from the news and I read in the news, but I haven't heard anything here at Carleton in this institute.
8:50 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Okay. As far as you know, there are not discussions taking place about human rights abuses in China at the Confucius Institute
8:50 p.m.
Director, National Capital Confucius Institute for Culture, Language and Business, Carleton University, As an Individual
Not that I'm aware at this institute at Carleton University.
8:50 p.m.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Where do you get your funding from? Various experts have said that you're funded by the CCP propaganda department affiliated with the United Front Work Department. Where does the funding that you get from China source from?
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Director, National Capital Confucius Institute for Culture, Language and Business, Carleton University, As an Individual
It's from the Confucius Institute head office, the Confucius Institute in Beijing.
8:50 p.m.
Director, National Capital Confucius Institute for Culture, Language and Business, Carleton University, As an Individual
The funds go to the university finance account.
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Conservative
8:50 p.m.
Director, National Capital Confucius Institute for Culture, Language and Business, Carleton University, As an Individual
It's managed completely under the university finance.