Mr. Speaker, I have spoken with the President of China and each time Canada has diplomatic contacts with the Chinese, we remind them that we are not pleased with the human rights situation in their country. However, this does not mean that we will not do business with them.
If the hon. Leader of the Opposition is telling us that we should have nothing to do with China, then we will take note of his position. However, if we refuse to do business with every country having a political system that is not to our liking, then we will not be doing business with very many countries. We are monitoring the human rights situation in China, but it is equally important-and this may be the best way to improve human rights in countries such as this-that we do business with them to open the country up to the world. This is the way to achieve democracy. This is precisely what happened with the Soviet Union. When the Soviets finally understood that human rights and democratic freedoms, as enjoyed by the Western world, were the right choice, that is when the Berlin Wall crumbled.