John Robson: Expelling One Measly Diplomat Is Not Going to Stop Beijing’s Meddling in Our Democracy

John Robson: Expelling One Measly Diplomat Is Not Going to Stop Beijing’s Meddling in Our Democracy
The Chinese Embassy in Ottawa in a file photo. Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
John Robson
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Commentary

The Trudeau administration finally, grudgingly expelled one communist Chinese diplomat for trying to subvert our democracy. But they sure didn’t look serious about it, which is asking for trouble.

I’m not even talking here about their determined efforts not to realize it was happening. But with the prime minister insisting that reports never left CSIS that actually reached his office only somehow to phase-shift through the desk of the non-existent National Security Adviser into a parallel universe where Sgt. Schultz occupies that post, they’ve conveyed to Beijing that national security does not concern them. At least not ours.

Regrettably it turned out to concern the populace, and even the chattering classes. You can get away with a lot in terms of contempt for your own heritage (witness the new passport), but at some point it becomes embarrassing, even dangerous, to your prestige and material comforts to be openly contemptuous of such obvious misconduct.

Faced with an uproar, the Liberal cabinet made it clear that they thought the peasants were revolting. They dillied and dallied in ways that left no doubt that they didn’t want to act, while cravenly stipulating that they feared possible retaliation. Such kowtowing unmistakably conveyed to the sophisticated that any gestures they might take to appease irate, vulgar public opinion should not be taken seriously.

Finally they sent Zhao Wei packing, China promptly expelled a Canadian diplomat, and the curtain came down. Nothing to see here, folks. The Liberals even gave a prominent spot at their national convention in early May to Jean Chrétien, one of Beijing’s best and best-rewarded Canadian friends, to underline that business as usual would continue despite this little skit aimed at a domestic audience.

Frankly, we should have chucked out five or 10 diplomats right off. Certainly when Beijing retaliated, we should have escalated. Instead, we folded. Also, and here the state-subsidized press as well as the government have fallen down badly, we should have started exploring how many Chinese diplomats are in Canada and how many of them are spies.

No, really. The Soviets too were infamous for sending dozens of cultural attachés who knew nothing about opera but lots about black ops, and sports attachés who didn’t know which end of the mallet hits the tennis birdie but wore steel-toed shoes. So have you seen one story that even asks how many people with diplomatic immunity work at the Chinese Embassy, its four consulates-general, and other United Front Work Department nests of subversion, let alone what they really do?

As for the government, our Department of Grovelling maintains a webpage on “Canada-China relations” that gushes about how we work with the Chinese on climate change, climate change (yes, it mentions it twice), “environmental sustainability,” and other stuff like “rights protection for disadvantaged groups.” Uyghurs? What Uyghurs? We’re all buddies here. “Growing tourism flows and ongoing cultural exchanges enrich bilateral linkages.”

What’s more, “China remains an important commercial market for Canadian businesses.” Nice trade relations we have there. Pity if something were to… happen to them.

To be fair they finally mention “associated risks including market access barriers, ambiguous regulations, prevalent and persistent intellectual property theft, and the risk of diversion of sensitive goods and technologies for military purposes. Human rights abuses, such as forced labour, could also impact trade with China: Canadian companies are expected to undertake thorough supply chain due diligence.”

Oh. Just that? And why are companies expected to? Because the government sure won’t. When Parliament voted to condemn the Uyghur genocide, cabinet abstained. Whereas Justin Trudeau agreed that Canada did commit and is committing genocide against our aboriginals (while typically denying that words have meanings). It makes you wonder whose side he’s on.

So, subtly, do statements like “more than 117,000 Chinese students with study permits for six months or more attended Canadian educational institutions.” It’s a reminder that their fees help keep those institutions afloat and given which side their bread is buttered on they shouldn’t make a fuss about silly old human rights or intellectual property theft.

Remember: We still don’t know why two members of the Chinese diaspora were abruptly fired from Canada’s National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg four years ago. We don’t even know where they are. Possibly China.

That one of them helped set up the Wuhan lab from which COVID may well have leaked, and co-authored papers with a student connected to the People’s Liberation Army Academy of Military Sciences, is apparently none of our business. We’re just citizens in a democracy, not partners in some global law firm awash in dirty CCP money.

If we convey to the Butchers of Beijing that what really bugs us about their election meddling is that Canadians found out and made a stink, we’re asking for more and we’ll get it. But why would we?
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
John Robson
John Robson
Author
John Robson is a documentary filmmaker, National Post columnist, contributing editor to the Dorchester Review, and executive director of the Climate Discussion Nexus. His most recent documentary is “The Environment: A True Story.”
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