Foreign Affairs Committee on Oct. 30th, 2025

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

I call this meeting to order.

Welcome to meeting number 10 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development.

Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the Standing Orders. Members are attending in person in the room and remotely using the Zoom application.

Pursuant to Standing order 108(2), the committee is meeting to study the mandate of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

I would like to officially welcome our witnesses for the first hour.

With us is the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

From the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, we have David Morrison, deputy minister of foreign affairs; Richard Arbeiter, political director and assistant deputy minister, international security and political affairs branch; Shirley Carruthers, assistant deputy minister and chief financial officer, people and corporate management branch and chief financial officer; and Alexandre Lévêque, assistant deputy minister, Europe, Middle East and Arctic branch.

Up to five minutes will be given for opening remarks, after which we will proceed to rounds of questions.

I now invite the honourable minister to make her remarks.

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I want to start by saying that Canada stands with the people of the Caribbean at this difficult time, and that statement is backed up by action. Today, we announced $7 million in humanitarian assistance for the region.

Since the end of the Second World War, multilateral institutions have helped to make our world more safe and more prosperous. More than a billion people have been lifted out of extreme poverty. Famine and disease have declined. We have seen shared effort lead to shared prosperity.

Today, the multilateral system is under threat as some countries are turning toward protectionism and unilateralism. Around the world, the geopolitical landscape is unstable, with powers shifting in ways that jeopardize Canada's security and prosperity. We face challenges that no country can resolve alone. The strength that we demonstrate abroad begins with our resilience at home.

We have a new government, a new Prime Minister and a new approach to foreign policy. This foreign policy is built on three pillars: one, defence and security; two, economic resilience; and three, the integration of core values. These priorities represent our vision for Canada's role on the world stage.

In an era of economic uncertainty, Canada must diversify trade, strengthen supply chains and position itself as a destination for investment. New agreements with the EU and Mexico, an economic partnership with Indonesia, and agreements with the Pacific region and Europe clearly reflect our desire to develop stable trade with allies who share our values.

These agreements strengthen our resilience, prosperity, and commitment to a global economy based on clear rules. I intend to leverage all diplomatic tools at my disposal to support Canada’s economic priorities, and to protect against external threats to our economy.

I would also like to add that Canada is an Arctic country. The Arctic covers 40% of Canada's territory and more than 70% of our coastline, but the Arctic itself is experiencing major change with the shifting geopolitical landscape, with evolving security threats and with the acceleration of climate change, all of which reinforce the need for us to protect the Arctic.

That is why we announced Canada’s Arctic foreign policy, a $73-billion strategy for Canada’s engagement in and on the Arctic. We are also enhancing our engagement in the north by strengthening partnerships with indigenous communities, expanding regional presence through the recent appointment of an Arctic ambassador, and leveraging our position on the world stage through NATO and NORAD.

As emerging technologies reshape the landscape of conflict, Canada is redefining global norms to navigate the risks and seize the opportunities ahead. Our near $22 billion of support for Ukraine since Russia’s further illegal and unjustifiable full-scale invasion demonstrates our unwavering commitment to upholding international law and defending sovereignty.

Our core values are our North Star. Canada stands for democracy, the rules-based international order, multilateralism, human rights, gender equality, environmental protection and reconciliation. These values are embedded in our foreign policy and will continue to be.

Our new approach to foreign policy is both strategic and pragmatic in order to lead on the world stage. That is why in Canada’s national address to the United Nations, I reiterated our steadfast commitment to strengthening multilateralism by reforming international institutions so they can meet the challenges of our time. Multilateralism remains key to solving global problems today.

One multilateral institution, the G7, is led by Canada this year. During Canada's G7 presidency, we've rallied support to advance Canadian economic and security priorities, including the launching of initiatives to coordinate and strengthen our responses to threats to maritime security and shipping.

Canada’s diplomacy is pragmatic. It is focused on building strategic autonomy and on delivering real benefits for Canadians: safer borders, a stronger economy and a world that reflects our values.

Mr. Chair, I am happy to take your questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Thank you, Minister.

Thank you, honourable Minister, for your remarks.

We are now going to open the floor for questions, beginning with MP Michael Chong.

You have six minutes.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills North, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister, for appearing.

I have three questions, so if we could limit the responses to about a minute and a half each, that would be helpful for getting through all three questions.

The first is on foreign interference. Global Affairs Canada plays a big role within the Government of Canada in countering foreign interference. Foreign interference in the last election was observed by Global Affairs. The foreign influence transparency registry has yet to be stood up. The government originally said it would take about 12 months. The public safety minister indicated in the House recently that it should be up by year's end. There was hope that the registry would be up before the last election. It appears that we could have another election before the registry is stood up.

Is there a sense of urgency within the Government of Canada about getting this registry up and running before the next federal election, the second since the bill became law?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville East, ON]

I appreciate the question from my honourable colleague, and certainly his work in this area has been so important for the government of the day as well as for the citizens of Canada.

I thank you for your advocacy.

I would like to stress that the recommendations of the report, which I brought with me here today, are extremely important as well. The foreign registry is one of the issues that I know my colleague, Minister Anandasangaree, is taking very seriously. I have spoken with him about the appointment that my honourable colleague mentioned, and he has indicated to me that this should be done by the end of the year. As it rests with him, I leave my answer there.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills North, ON]

Thank you, Minister, for that answer.

The second question I have concerns the Prime Minister's trip to the Indo-Pacific region. He told leaders of ASEAN that Canada wants to expedite the export of our natural resources, particularly our energy. He said, “We're an energy superpower—an unabashed energy superpower. We have the third-largest reserves of oil. We have the fourth-largest reserves of LNG. We’ve just started our first LNG shipments.”

Can you tell the committee how Global Affairs Canada is making the export of our oil and gas and our LNG a foreign policy priority?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville East, ON]

I want to begin by mentioning the moment we are in geopolitically and economically. The world is experiencing geopolitical volatility and economic stress.

On my trip to the region just a couple of weeks ago, I raised the importance of opening up bilateral trade, but also protecting Canadian values. I would say the defence and security of our country also include ensuring that the Canadian population is protected. That was one of the foremost issues that I raised.

To the member opposite's question, let me just say that Canada has the immense potential to be a leading and reliable global supplier of critical minerals. We have launched a critical minerals strategy that is going to increase the development of domestic and global supply chains. That issue is on the table in our conversations relating to opening up supply chains with Canada and leveraging our competitive advantages.

I want to come back to my first point. At all times, we are ensuring that we're protecting the safety and security of the Canadian population, our sovereignty, and the rule of law within our own country.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills North, ON]

The third question I have concerns China.

I know that you have recently been talking about the renewal of the 2005 strategic partnership with the PRC. Is it really strategic? Is it really a partnership, or is that nomenclature a bit of a misnomer? In other words, are we really looking to engage China strategically and in a partnership, or are we simply looking at reopening lines of communications that went dormant on a variety of issues?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville East, ON]

You are correct that my conversation with my counterpart, Minister Wang Yi, centred on the strategic partnership that was originally in place in 2005, and that formed some of the basis of our conversation just weeks ago in Beijing.

I want to first and foremost say that the purpose of the visit wasn't focused on the strategic partnership that was referenced in the question. It was about ensuring that Canada's diplomacy is utilized to have constructive and pragmatic conversations.

We will at all times defend our national interests and the best interests of Canadians. The meeting was a first step toward recalibrating the relationship and fighting for Canada's interests on the world stage in a way that is most effective.

In those meetings, I raised a number of issues. The strategic partnership was one of them, but I will reiterate that we are in a moment of recalibrating that relationship.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Thank you.

We will go next to MP Anita Vandenbeld.

You have six minutes.

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

It's wonderful to see you here, Minister.

We're here at a very fortuitous moment, because tomorrow, October 31, is exactly 25 years since the signing of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. At that time, it was recognized that if women are part of peace processes throughout the entire process, peace agreements are more sustainable. In fact, what we've seen is that if women are at the table, they are 35% more likely to have a peace deal that lasts 15 years or more.

I know that Canada, of course, is now on its third national action plan for women, peace and security, which goes from 2023 to 2029. I wonder if you could comment a bit on some of the successes, because one of the things we said 25 years ago, which I raised again in my maiden speech in Parliament 10 years ago, is that gone are the days when you have warlords who sit around a table, divide the spoils of war and call it a peace deal.

Why is it important that we have inclusive peace agreements that count for everybody in a society? Can you tell us some of the successes that Canada has had?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville East, ON]

I thank my honourable colleague for the question and for her work in this area over a number of years. As she rightly points out, Canada has been a champion of gender equality for decades.

In 2023-24 alone, Canada reached over 40 million people with international assistance projects, and some of those projects addressed sexual and gender-based violence. Recently, in terms of successes, I'd characterize them as a co-operative effort. Canada joined 30 other countries in a declaration at the fourth ministerial conference on feminist foreign policy in Europe, on October 22 and 23, in support of gender equality, women's rights and a feminist approach to international engagement. Canada remains committed to implementing the WPS—that's women, peace and security—agenda through our third national action plan, which extends to 2029.

Let me conclude this response simply by saying that, as we mark the 25th anniversary of the WPS agenda, we should look back and reflect on progress, but we also have to focus on the immense work ahead.

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Thank you very much, Minister, for that commitment. We know that despite Canada's leadership, in 2024, according to UN Women, of the peace agreements that were signed, only 7% were signed by women, and only 14% of peace mediators globally in the conflicts around the world are women.

I would just like to ask you something personally, because you are a very strong woman leader in your own right who has committed tremendously in your career to gender equality, to women's participation and to women's inclusion. You've also been defence minister and foreign affairs minister. You have a particularly unique perspective about why women's voices contribute to greater outcomes and longer lasting peace, and why that is important.

I wonder if you could give us a few of your personal reflections about what is needed, and also about what the opportunities are for Canada to lead in this area.

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville East, ON]

The statistics you mentioned are very important. There's another statistic that I think about also, which is that conflict-related sexual violence documented by the UN has increased by 87% over the last two years alone. It is so important to ensure that there are women's voices at the table. The second term of Canada's ambassador for women, peace and security concluded this year, and our government is currently considering options for how best to sustain leadership on WPS at home and globally.

My honourable colleague mentioned previous positions that I have held. One of the reasons I ran for office in the first place is that I believe having women's voices at the table, at numerous tables, is crucial in this moment. In particular, this isn't just in government. This is in public and private institutions—in hospitals, universities, corporations and not-for-profit organizations.

As I was a law professor for over 20 years, I tried to focus my research on women and minorities in leadership positions. One of the studies I did was an empirical study on the presence of women and minorities on boards of directors, because my area of research and writing was corporate and securities law. I found that women make up about 16% of public company boards and about 4% of racial minorities on public company boards. This is just an example of the work I'm trying to carry over to some extent to other areas of my life.

There are certain values we hold dear, and one is to ensure that there are multiple voices at the table. One large voice, of course, is that of women.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Thank you, Minister.

Next we'll go to MP Brunelle-Duceppe .

You may go ahead for six minutes.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Minister, thank you for being with us today.

I'm going to quote something I read in the news a few days ago: “Just three years after Canada called China a ‘disruptive global power,’ Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says Canada now views Beijing as a strategic partner in a dangerous world.”

At the leaders' debate in April, during the recent election campaign, Mr. Carney said that China was Canada's biggest security threat.

Parliament adopted reports about that. In 2020, along with members here today, I helped draft one of those reports as a member of the Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. The report focused on the ongoing genocide of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, in East Turkestan. What's more, a motion condemning the Uyghur genocide passed unanimously in the House of Commons. It was proposed by my friend Michael Chong and, with his permission, amended by me.

Doesn't the new strategic partnership you're referring to, not to mention the statements you and Mr. Carney have made, fly in the face of the work done by the House of Commons not that long ago?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville East, ON]

Thank you for your question.

I'll start by highlighting that I went to China to recalibrate our relationship with the country. To do that, we need a forum where we can discuss tough issues. My counterpart and I talked about many of them, not just in relation to a strategic partnership, but also in relation to human rights.

I would add that Canada is deeply concerned by the systematic human rights violations. We will continue to stress the importance of human rights all over the world and to support the Uyghur people in China through diplomacy. We will also continue the work we started at the UN, through the UN Human Rights Council.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Minister, doesn't normalizing a new strategic partnership with China, including new economic agreements, amount to normalizing human rights violations in China?

You said that you spoke with your Chinese counterpart and that you discussed human rights. Did you bring up what is happening to Uyghurs in Xinjiang and Tibetans, specifically?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville East, ON]

Thank you for your question.

As I just said, it's important to keep in mind that I spent two hours talking to my counterpart, so we discussed a number of issues, including the strategic partnership, human rights and Canadian concerns. I went to China in my role as minister to represent the Canadian people and stress the importance of Canadian values. I think Canadians want a minister who can have tough conversations, and that is, and has always been, my objective.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

We're going to have tough conversations with China, but we are going to strengthen our economic times with the country. In a nutshell, that's what you're telling me.

Before meeting with your Chinese counterpart, did you consult the diaspora communities of the minority groups being repressed? Those groups have a strong presence in Canada, after all. Given your conversation and efforts to recalibrate your relationship with China, what message are you sending the Uyghur, Tibetan, Hong Kong and Taiwanese diaspora communities?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville East, ON]

I would encourage the honourable member to review the readout of my meeting with my Chinese counterpart. It lists all the issues we talked about.

Canada is a world leader in advancing human rights and the rules-based international order, and this will never change.

Diplomacy is about bringing forward difficult issues and ensuring that we're representing Canadian interests. The diplomacy on that day was done minister to minister, and we will always put the needs of Canadians first. We will not shy away from our commitment to our values, which is present in multilateral organizations, multilateral commitments and bilateral relationships and includes human rights.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Thank you.

We'll go next to MP Aboultaif.

You have five minutes.

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

Thank you, Chair, and welcome to the minister.

Minister, earlier this year, the Prime Minister stated that China was the biggest security threat to Canada. Now your government is looking for closer ties with Beijing and renewing a partnership of some kind that includes security.

Have you raised with your counterparts the Chinese government's police stations in Canada? Can you tell us if these stations still operate, or have they stopped?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville East, ON]

As I said a moment ago, we discussed a number of issues, including human rights and the safety and security of Canadians. I want to point out that the situation you're referring to is a public safety issue in this country. My fellow minister Mr. Anandasangaree is the minister responsible, but of course, I discussed a number of issues with my counterpart.

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

Minister, you haven't really answered my question about police stations. You are the foreign affairs minister, and if anyone can discuss that with countries such as China, it's you.

I'm asking if that discussion took place, yes or no. That must have led to an understanding of whether or not those stations still operate in Canada.