Beijing sees inaction as weakness. They respond only to strength, and sometimes that means we have to take extraordinary measures that may cost us in something—maybe trade, maybe getting our diplomat expelled from China. We have to show strength in our interactions with them, because they take our weakness for granted. They will continue to push.
This is what Beijing is doing on multilateral institutions. They push the rules until the rules don't apply anymore, until the rules twist and turn in favour of Beijing. This is happening in the World Health Organization, in the UN, in Hollywood and on Wall Street. I believe we need to draw a line somewhere in Canada to say, “This is where you must stop. We are taking a stand for ourselves.”