Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I just want to remind the witnesses that it's six minutes for our questions and answers. It's all the time we have.
I want to thank the witnesses very much for being here. Professor Cotler was actually one of the members who wanted very much to have both of you appear before the committee. Unfortunately he's not here with us today, but he has taken a great interest, working with parliamentarians and academics from all over the world, to sign also a declaration for the release of Liu Xiaobo. He's been working quite hard on that one.
There's no question what Liu Xiaobo represented in what he did at Tiananmen Square back in 1989 and with the charter he modelled after the charter that Václav Havel put forward in 1977. It was a peaceful charter to look at reform in the respect for civil and political rights. As you've mentioned, China is a signatory to that covenant that has yet to be ratified.
There has been, without any question, a lot of rapid growth and transition in China. Certainly a lot of development has taken place in cultural and economic rights, but very little has been seen in the more civil and political rights, which is one of the issues that concern us and about which you're here before us.
World leaders, including from Canada, have called for the release of these human rights activists. We are again calling on China to listen to the call of the world community. We're not doing that as a hostile act toward China; we're extending an olive branch of friendship, asking China to do the right thing for its citizens.
You have listed a series of action plans that you'd like to see Canada follow. But I also want to get your view--before I split my time with my colleague--on what action other parliaments throughout the world have taken, whether it be the European Parliament or the U.S. Congress. What types of initiatives have they put forward that maybe we could also take a look at?
On the issue of human rights dialogue, we have been looking at making sure that human rights NGOs also participate. It's not an easy process. It's a very secretive process that takes place. But we would certainly look forward to having more input from the human rights community in that whole dialogue.
I can see, given the spotlight that was put on the case of the Nobel Prize winner, this would be right time for us to initiate and engage in the human rights dialogue with China in a proactive way.
So perhaps you can let me know of some examples that Canada can follow, but also lead in. I think you had a series of steps you'd like us to follow. Which one would be the priority for you?