Good afternoon, honourable members.
I call the meeting to order.
Welcome to meeting number 20 of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development.
Pursuant to the motion adopted on January 31, the committee is meeting today on its study of the current situation in the Taiwan Strait.
As usual, interpretation services are available during this meeting. You simply have to click on the globe icon at the bottom of the screen.
For members participating in person, keep in mind the Board of Internal Economy's guidelines for mask use and health protocols.
I would like to take a moment to remind participants that screenshots and taking photos of your screens are not permitted.
Before speaking, please wait until I recognize you by name. When speaking, please speak slowly and clearly. When you are not speaking, your mike should be on mute.
A reminder that all comments by members and witnesses should be addressed through the chair.
Colleagues, I would now like to welcome our first panel of witnesses back before the committee, and thank them for agreeing to return.
We have before us today Professor Kerry Brown, professor of Chinese studies and director, Lau China Institute, at King's College London; and Professor Steve Tsang, professor, SOAS University of London.
Welcome to the committee, both of you.
Also joining us is Professor André Laliberté, from the University of Ottawa. He will be listening in to the discussion with the first panel, but we will not hear from him until our second hour.
Welcome, Professor Laliberté.
Colleagues, with that we will turn to Professor Brown and Professor Tsang, in sequence, for opening statements of five minutes each.
Professor Brown, the floor is yours. Please go ahead.