Canada-China Relations committee  This is an issue that we definitely grapple with, not only in Hong Kong but in other places. That estimate of 300,000, which is very widely quoted, is based on survey data. It's based on a survey that was done 10 years ago, commissioned by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.

Canada-China Relations committee  We've seen some increase in inquiries, but our colleagues in Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada tell us that the numbers are not huge. We haven't seen a big surge. We saw a couple of small spikes in inquiries about a year ago when the protests were at their peak in the

Canada-China Relations committee  First, having heard the testimony of the experts who have already testified, I think there are no issues they've pointed out that we don't agree with in our assessment. Number one, there's the way in which the law came about. We think it was fundamentally improper and it was secr

Canada-China Relations committee  We have two different categories of people there: Canadian citizens who could be seeking protection, and people who are not Canadians who could be seeking asylum. We have not had a direct approach from either category. We've had no Canadians show up seeking protection, and we've

Canada-China Relations committee  For a Canadian coming to the consulate seeking consular assistance from us, our door is always open to a Canadian who shows up. We would welcome a Canadian and then see how we can assist them, what their situation is and what kind of help they need. As for someone who is not a Ca

Canada-China Relations committee  We do have detailed plans in place, and we have resources available and identified to cover a range of situations up to and including a situation where the urgent departure of a large number of Canadians would be necessary. I'm happy to go into more detail on that if you like. We

Canada-China Relations committee  There is no question that the way we talk about Hong Kong has changed significantly compared with five years ago. Within Hong Kong, speeches that I give, people I meet with.... I've done round tables just in the last few weeks with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and with Cana

Canada-China Relations committee  We are giving what we hope is an accurate representation of Hong Kong. People do come to Hong Kong to do business. There are some aspects of business in Hong Kong that are very strong right now for Canadian companies.

Canada-China Relations committee  Thank you very much. Mr. Chair, Hong Kong is home to a large Canadian community. The ties with Canada are broad and deep. In the past 18 months, this city of such importance to Canada has experienced dramatic political, social and legal change. Throughout this period, the Gover