Thank you, Mr. Chair, and good morning, everyone.
Thank you for the opportunity to address the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. I would like to begin by acknowledging that I am participating in this briefing from the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people.
The promotion and protection of human rights is an integral part of Canadian foreign policy and is a priority in the Government of Canada's engagement with China. When the Prime Minister announced on December 8, 2021, that Canada would not be sending any diplomatic representation to the Beijing winter Olympics, he made it clear that Canada remained extremely concerned by the repeated human rights violations by the Chinese government.
In Xinjiang, there's substantial credible evidence that documents mass arbitrary detentions of Uighur and other Muslim ethnic minorities, directed by the central and regional Chinese governments under the false pretext of countering terrorism and violent extremism. From evidence provided by academics, NGOs, human rights defenders, journalists and the testimony of victims, Uighurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities face torture or cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, obligatory patriotic and cultural education, forced labour and arbitrary forced separation of children from their parents by authorities. Throughout the region, Uighurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities also face repressive physical and digital surveillance. There are credible reports of systematic rape and gender-based sexual violence, as well as reports of forced medical procedures without consent, including sterilization, abortions, contraceptive device insertion and organ removal.
The Chinese government has taken the position that the measures in Xinjiang are counterterrorism-related, but the evidence simply does not support that position. Furthermore, these actions are inconsistent with both China's international human rights obligations and the UN global counterterrorism strategy.
The situation has become much more troubling since 2017, which is why nearly 50 UN independent experts raised their concerns in 2020. It is also why we have taken specific measures to address forced labour in Xinjiang, including a recent commitment for the government to introduce legislation to eradicate forced labour from Canadian supply chains and ensure that Canadian businesses operating abroad do not contribute to human rights abuses.
On March 22, 2021, Canada announced sanctions against four Chinese officials and one entity under the Special Economic Measures Act, based on their direct participation in gross and systematic human rights violations in Xinjiang. These measures were taken in coordination and in solidarity with the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union. We remain steadfast in our pledge to increase supply chain transparency, promote responsible business conduct and ensure that Canadian companies are upholding Canadian values.
Global Affairs Canada has engaged our trade commissioner service clients in China on the risks of supply chain exposure in Xinjiang. This includes a business advisory warning on the risks of forced labour exposure to supply chains and the introduction of a Xinjiang integrity declaration that Canadian companies active in or with ties to Xinjiang are expected to sign to continue receiving trade commissioner services from Canada.
In multilateral fora and bilateral discussions, Canada has consistently called on the Chinese government to end the repression in Xinjiang. Canada has been a strong voice in calling for the establishment of an independent and impartial investigation into the gross human rights violations taking place in Xinjiang. We will continue to call attention to these human rights violations alongside the global community.
Thank you very much.