Canada-China Relations committee  Canada raises human rights concerns at every opportunity and at every level. Our advocacy for human rights in China includes bilateral dialogue, joint or unilateral public statements, interventions in multilateral forums such as the Human Rights Council of the United Nations, mon

Canada-China Relations committee  Mr. Chair, I can assure you that one issue we have raised consistently with the Government of China is the residual diplomatic immunities of Mr. Michael Kovrig, who was one of our colleagues at Global Affairs Canada.

Canada-China Relations committee  Diplomatic immunities are a very important part of being able to engage in the very important bilateral relationships that we have around the world and that all countries have around the world with other countries. It's very important to be protected. It's very important for thos

Canada-China Relations committee  Mr. Chair, I cannot speak, obviously, for the Government of China, but clearly they have taken a very strong public position in the case of Madam Meng, and that public position has been quite firm. I would invite you to invite our ambassador to China to Canada to seek further ins

Canada-China Relations committee  Mr. Chair, we are constantly seeking support from other countries. I'll pass this question on to Mr. Thoppil to provide more context and detail on that.

Canada-China Relations committee  Okay, I will try to answer all the questions. First, I agree that our relations with China have been excellent for a number of years, and we have always had good face-to-face relationships. In the field of trade, we have many very complex relationships that require contacts. We

Canada-China Relations committee  There's been a lot written about the strategic rivalry between a status quo power and an emerging power. This might make a great future study for the committee. There are many views to take into account. As a middle power, Canada has relied strongly on international rules and n

Canada-China Relations committee  Yes, that is absolutely correct. You will see during your investigation by the committee, I'm sure, Mr. Chair, that a number of countries have had challenges in their relationship with China. In many cases, these challenges can take quite a while to resolve.

Canada-China Relations committee  Yes, Mr. Chair. We have really benefited from the support and strength of many like-minded countries on this issue. This has required a significant effort at all levels of the Government of Canada, starting with the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and all of our

Canada-China Relations committee  Thank you. The Public Health Agency of Canada has the lead in coordinating the domestic efforts to manage the outbreak of the coronavirus. Global Affairs Canada is focusing on the well-being of Canadians in China and travel advice and also on the well-being of our consular and d

Canada-China Relations committee  Absolutely. The Government of the United States has spoken out against the arbitrary detention of Mr. Spavor and Mr. Kovrig, Mr. Chair. There have been resolutions in the House of Representatives, for example, decrying the detention of these two individuals. All of our allies—

Canada-China Relations committee  Mr. Chair, the United States is as concerned as we are with the arbitrary detention and arrest by Chinese authorities of Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor. It has supported us both publicly and privately through diplomatic channels in making representations to the Government of China abo

Canada-China Relations committee  Mr. Chair, this is a complicated issue, clearly. It involves delicate diplomatic relationships. It is not entirely within the control, as you would know, of the Government of Canada. We have made best efforts across a variety of diplomatic channels and working with our allies, in

Canada-China Relations committee  Let me just say that in the trade aspects of the relationship, as you're aware, the current canola seeds market issue with the Government of China has had a big impact on Canadian farmers. The Government of Canada is taking action through the rule of law and the processes that ex

Canada-China Relations committee  Canada will continue to pursue this through the WTO, which is the established mechanism to resolve trade disputes. That reinforces our commitment to the rule of law and to using established processes to resolve these disputes.