Canada-China Relations committee  Yes, I talked about the Arctic. In fact, there is a lot of concern and speculation about a possible increase in China's presence in the Arctic, and again we tend to look for hidden motives or agendas. I was talking about the unknown unknowns earlier. In this case, there are fears of a growing Chinese presence in the Arctic.

Canada-China Relations committee  I'll answer your question indirectly by using the example of the conflict in the South China Sea. Much has been made of the fact that China responded to a decision by an arbitration tribunal in the South China Sea by saying that it wasn't going to comply with international law, or at least with the view of international law held by a tribunal it considered illegitimate.

Canada-China Relations committee  Thank you for your question. The economic aspect of Canada's relations with China is somewhat outside my area of expertise. My focus is more on regional security issues.

Canada-China Relations committee  I think any doubts, challenges or vulnerabilities that we're able to identify should be a cause of concern to some extent. Having said that, I think the presence of foreign investment and Chinese business and economic interests in the country is simply a reflection of an interdependent global economy.

Canada-China Relations committee  I'm not convinced that China seeks to overthrow the existing international order or to replace the United States as the main driver behind the existing rules. It is important, when it comes to assessing China's behaviour, to compartmentalize the discussion a bit, focus on breaking down certain domains of the international order, and then try to assess whether China's behaviour is merely pushing for a particular interpretation of the rules that doesn't align with our interests or our preferences or, alternatively, seeking to overthrow the rules.

Canada-China Relations committee  Yes. Thank you for the opportunity to clarify. I think that, when assessing and trying to unpack behaviour and interpret the implications of that behaviour from a particular state, there is a risk of threat inflation that we need to take into account. There is a risk in terms of assuming that speculation about what is going on is evidence that this particular behaviour that we expect is in fact going on.

Canada-China Relations committee  You're absolutely right to point out that our expectations of China's becoming more like us have not materialized, and we need to adjust to that reality. Absolutely. I don't think, though, that we can derive from that the conclusion that China will behave in particular areas all the time in ways that conflict directly with our interests and preferences.

Canada-China Relations committee  Absolutely.

Canada-China Relations committee  Good evening. I'd like to thank the Special Committee on the Canada-People's Republic of China Relationship for inviting me to testify this evening and participate in these very important discussions. My contribution to the ongoing discussions will be rooted in my expertise in international relations in the Indo-Pacific region and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, in particular.