Evidence of meeting #7 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 comes.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

8:35 p.m.

Conservative

John Williamson Conservative New Brunswick Southwest, NB

I'll move on.

Mr. Chair, how much time do I have?

8:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Geoff Regan

You have one minute and 10 seconds.

8:35 p.m.

Conservative

John Williamson Conservative New Brunswick Southwest, NB

Minister, the New York Times has reported that World Health Organization officials concealed concessions made to the People's Republic of China concerning their investigation of the coronavirus outbreak earlier this year.

What is your position on the need for an independent review of both the outbreak of the coronavirus in China and the Chinese government's response to that outbreak?

8:35 p.m.

Liberal

François-Philippe Champagne Liberal Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC

Well, I thank you for your question. You will know from the record, Mr. Williamson, that Canada was one of the countries that had asked for an investigation like that, to make sure that we would review the World Health Organization, the leadership, the financing and the early systems to detect any future pandemic. Canada is part of these countries that have been asking to make sure that we better understand so that we can protect the health and safety of people around the world.

8:35 p.m.

Conservative

John Williamson Conservative New Brunswick Southwest, NB

I understand that you've joined Australia—

8:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Geoff Regan

Thank you, Mr. Williamson.

We have about three minutes left to go.

Ms. Zann, it's over to you.

8:35 p.m.

Liberal

Lenore Zann Liberal Cumberland—Colchester, NS

Thank you very much.

Again, it's great to have the minister right here and ask him questions about the China-Canada relations.

Minister, on February 5 of this year, Canada's ambassador to China, Dominic Barton, told this special committee that Canada's relationship with China has fundamentally changed since 2018, saying, “The chill is real.”

Also, in a written submission provided to this committee in March 2020, the Honourable Mr. McCallum conveyed that the Canadian government's agenda is “both to remain true to our values and to do more...with China.”

In a world where so many products these days are made in China—I know it drives people crazy in some ways, but it also means that Western nations have been provided, and some would say “flooded”, with much cheaper products—how do you propose that Canada balance the commercial, technical, academic, cultural and people-to-people ties with the People's Republic while at the same time effectively addressing our serious concerns about China's human rights record, particularly when it comes to the very disturbing reports about the Uighurs and Tibetan people, and the eroding rights of Hong Kong citizens?

8:35 p.m.

Liberal

François-Philippe Champagne Liberal Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC

Well, thank you for that question. I don't know how much time I have, Mr. Chair, to answer that question, but certainly human rights are a core principle of the foreign policy of Canada. Therefore, we will always put our defence of human rights and human rights advocates around the world on top when it comes to engaging. At the same time, I think what you highlighted—and I think there was a question before about that—is the economic interest that exists for exporters in Canada, such as in your part of Canada, where you have fishers and people exporting seafood.

Two things come to mind. We need to be ready to stand up for our values and principles, and that's what we've been doing, making sure that we have been calling it what it is. We've been calling for the release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor in a way that says that arbitrary detention is unacceptable, and we will continue to do so.

At the same time, I think we need to be able—as you've suggested and as other questioners have been suggesting—to find a way within the framework.... As I said, there will be issues on which we are going to be challenging China—when it comes to human rights, for sure, and human rights violations—and asking China to abide by its international agreements. There will be times when we will compete, and there was some question of whether it's about our governance model and our values. There will also be times when we might need to co-operate—on climate change, for example, and in some places such as with respect to the export of products, and also helping our fishers and farmers across Canada to be able to diversify within China and outside China. I think the CPTPP provides a great opportunity for that.

8:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Geoff Regan

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Ms. Zann.

Thank you all, colleagues. You have all received the subcommittee report, the draft of the report of the subcommittee. If there are no objections to it, then I propose it be adopted. If there are objections, we can discuss them in the last half-hour after our hour-and-a-half meeting tomorrow.

Are there any objections to the subcommittee report? Seeing none, I will consider it adopted, then.

Okay, thank you very much, colleagues.

Thank you again, Mr. Minister.

I should say that I was once a minister, as you may recall, a long time ago, and I always looked forward to appearances at committee, but I didn't mind the fact that mine were only an hour each time, so thank you so much.

November 23rd, 2020 / 8:40 p.m.

Conservative

Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB

Sorry, Mr. Chair, I have a point of order. I was just trying to get this thing unstuck here.

With respect to the subcommittee report, I wanted to propose a slight adjustment to it, and that is that we allow the ambassador to speak on it, to give a broader update than just on the situation in Tibet. We want to hear his update. I know you proceeded to declare it adopted, but I was trying to get in.

8:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Geoff Regan

In that case, we can take up that discussion tomorrow. Is that okay?

8:40 p.m.

Conservative

Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB

It sounds great. I just wanted to reserve the opportunity to have that discussion. Thank you.

8:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Geoff Regan

I appreciate that.

Thank you very much.

The meeting is adjourned.