Madam Chair and honourable members of this committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today.
My name is Mehmet Tohti. I am the executive director of the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project, which is based in Ottawa.
Canada stands at a critical moment in its trade policy. The choices we make are not only about exports or market access but about who we are as a democracy and how seriously we defend human rights. History shows that, when democracies set aside rights for short-term economic gain, there are long-term costs: vulnerability, lost credibility and weakened alliances.
Canada's trade diversification makes sense, but it must rest on evidence, enforceable standards and alliance realities—not political optimism. Expanding trade with China in particular carries substantial risk. Beijing continues to use commerce as leverage to divide allies and weaken unified positions on human rights. Without strong safeguards, deeper engagement could erode our alignment with the United States and other western alliances, and it could compromise our security.
Just a week ago, in February 2026, a Jamestown foundation report identified 575 Chinese Communist Party-linked United Front organizations in Canada, marking our country as a key hub for foreign interference. These networks influence policy-making, mobilize political support for Beijing's interests and target dissidents like me, Uyghur Canadians, Tibetans and Hong Kongers through transnational repression. Trade and policy decisions cannot be separated from this growing interference.
Canada's recent approval for BYD, a Chinese state-linked automaker, to expand operations illustrates the danger of narrow economic reasoning. Independent reports show BYD's involvement in high-risk regions, such as the east Turkestan Uyghur region and Tibet, where forced labour and state-imposed labour transfer programs operate under coercive conditions. Between 2017 and 2019, at least 80,000 Uyghurs were forcibly transferred to factories across China. This system now spans more than 17 global industries, including textiles, solar energy, electronics, mining and automotive supply chains. Engaging firms tied to those networks without strict due diligence risks complicity in forced labour, which is a practice the Canadian Parliament has recognized as a part of an ongoing genocide against Uyghurs.
Beyond human rights, this is a national security issue. Chinese electric vehicles and smart technologies integrate sensors and software connected to China-based infrastructure, creating real surveillance and data integrity concerns. Canada has already acted on similar risks, ordering Hikvision to end operations under the Investment Canada Act. The same logic must apply to BYD.
Enforcement remains a weak link. Since 2020, Canada has detained only 48 shipments suspected of using Uyghur forced labour, while U.S. enforcement blocked billions of dollars' worth of goods under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. Without comparable action, Canada risks becoming a diversion market for banned products, undermining North American alignment.
Lastly, Canada cannot ignore hostage diplomacy. Huseyin Celil, a Canadian citizen and Uyghur activist, has been imprisoned in China since 2006—20 years. He's been denied consular access and denied the recognition of his citizenship. His ongoing detention exemplifies China's use of human beings as an instrument of state policy.
Madam Chair, engagement with China must not come at the cost of integrity or human dignity. Canada's trade policy must be guided by principles, accountability and security. To proceed otherwise would endanger our alliances, our values and Canadians, who expect their government to stand on the side of justice.
Thank you. I welcome your questions.