I call this meeting to order.
Welcome to meeting number five of the Special Committee on Canada-China Relations. Pursuant to the motion adopted on Wednesday, September 23, 2020, the committee is meeting on a study of Canada-China relations.
Today's meeting is in hybrid format, pursuant to the motion adopted by the House on September 23, 2020. The meeting is also televised and will be available on the House of Commons website.
To ensure an orderly meeting, I would like to outline a few rules to follow.
Members and witnesses may speak in the official language of their choice. Interpretation services are available for this meeting. You have the choice, at the bottom of your screen, of floor, English or French. Before speaking, please wait until I recognize you by name. If you are participating by video conference, please click on the microphone icon to unmute yourself.
For the benefit of witnesses—the minister would know this—if one of the members is asking you questions, you don't have to wait for me to introduce you or recognize you at that point, but at some point I will cut it off when their time is up.
As a reminder, all interventions by members of the committee and witnesses must be directed through the chair. Please speak slowly and clearly.
When you are not speaking, your mike should be on mute.
I would now like to welcome the Minister for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, the Honourable Marco Mendicino. We also have with us Natasha Kim, associate assistant deputy minister, strategic and program policy; as well as Dr. Nicole Giles, associate assistant deputy minister, operations.
Thank you all for being here. We will now go to the minister for his opening remarks.