Suspending China Committee ‘Sends the Wrong Message’ Amid Interference Concerns, Diaspora Groups Say

A Chinese flag is illuminated in the Hall of Honour on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Sept. 22, 2016. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld

“Deeply shocked” is how diaspora groups describe their reaction to a report that the governing Liberals may suspend regular meetings of a Commons committee dedicated to studying Canada-China relations.

“We are deeply shocked by the recent proposal from members of your committee to suspend regular meetings,” said nine Hong Kong community groups in an Oct. 18 joint letter citing “China’s increasingly aggressive interference in Canada” and calling for an “urgent appeal” against the proposal.

The groups said that, at a time when concerns are rising over Chinese interference targeting Canadians and when a public inquiry is probing Beijing’s meddling in Canada’s elections, this proposal “sends the wrong message” that “the Parliament of Canada does not fully grasp the threat of China’s influence.”

The diaspora groups’ letter came a week after The Globe and Mail published an article saying Liberal MPs are backing a motion that proposes to end regular meetings of the Special Committee on the Canada-People’s Republic of China Relationship. The committee typically meets every Monday when the House is sitting. If the motion passes, meetings would convene “only for urgent matters” upon special request from members or when called by the chair after consulting with parties, according to the motion cited by the Oct. 10 Globe article.

Put forward by Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, the motion received support from other Liberal committee members but was opposed by Conservative and Bloc Québécois MPs on the committee, the Globe reported. No public information was released.

Liberal MP and committee chair Ken Hardie told The Epoch Times that the motion was introduced during a private meeting and as such he could not comment on the details. However, he confirmed that, if adopted, the motion would allow him, as chair, “to call for meetings or for any two parties to summon the committee.”

Hardie said there are regular Commons standing committees with the authority and mandate to examine the issues raised by the diaspora groups.

“As I see it, the [Canada-China] Special Committee could focus on issues that, while important, cannot get on to the agendas of the Standing Committees,” he said.

“Whether or not there are enough of those issues to require the continuous use of parliamentary resources is an open question at this point,” he added.

“The Special Committee’s mandate, as expressed in the original motion adopted by Parliament, is very broad, so consideration about what it should take on would reflect on the relative importance of each potential study subject.”

The Epoch Times reached out to other committee members for comment, including Erskine-Smith, but did not hear back.

‘Urgent Work to Be Done’

The Canada-China committee, established in 2019, has studied and produced a number of reports on key issues. These include Beijing’s operation of secret police stations in Canada, its targeting of individuals and communities including diasporas for interference and intimidation, the exposure of Canadian investment to the regime’s human rights abuses, and the communist regime’s suppression of democracy movements in Hong Kong.

“We strongly urge the Special Committee to maintain its regular meeting schedule and the vital study of Canada’s relationship with the PRC. There is urgent work to be done,” the diaspora groups said. “Canada must uphold its values by addressing human rights violations.”

The groups highlighted several issues that they said require the committee’s attention, including participation of Hong Kong’s police commissioner and police force members in a sports competition in Winnipeg, Manitoba, last August, despite widespread criticism of police violence against activists during the 2019 Hong Kong pro-democracy demonstrations.

Demonstrators gather to protest the participation of the Hong Kong Police Force in the World Police and Fire Games, outside the Forks National Historic Site in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Aug. 6, 2023. Among the displays was a banner reading "Hong Kong Police Are Murderers" and a flag with English and Chinese characters reading "Liberate Hong Kong." Courtesy of Winnipeg Hong Kong Concern

In addition to continuing to hold regular meetings, the groups urged the committee to take action to address a number of issues related to Beijing’s control over Hong Kong and exploitation of the city’s special status in international trade.

The groups raised “serious questions” about the activities of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (HKETOs) in Toronto and Vancouver, noting reports earlier this year that an official from the HKETO in London was found to have been involved in espionage activities.

The diaspora groups also expressed concern that the city, once an international trade hub known for its economic freedom, is being undermined and is now becoming a “strategic loophole for sanctions evasion.” They pointed to Hong Kong’s role as a transit centre for Beijing in providing high-tech products, including semiconductors and drone parts, to Russia for use in the war against Ukraine.

“While we appreciate Canada’s ongoing concern and special immigration policies for Hongkongers, more decisive actions are needed to protect national security and uphold Canadian values,” the diaspora groups said. “A thorough reassessment of relations with Hong Kong is essential.”

The joint statement was signed by Canada-Hong Kong Link, Vancouver Society In Support of Democratic Movement, and Friends of Hong Kong (Calgary), among others.