Tories Ask Foreign Minister Joly to Address Interference, Human Rights With Beijing During China Visit

Conservative MP Michael Chong rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Oct. 18, 2023. The Canadian Press/Justin Tang

The Conservatives have released a long list of issues the party says should be addressed with Beijing as Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly visits China, including interference issues and human rights violations.

“I hope she raises Canadians’ anger with the PRC [People’s Republic of China] messing around in our elections,” Conservative MP and foreign affairs critic Michael Chong wrote in a July 18 social media post. His post included a quote from the interim report of the ongoing Foreign Interference Commission.

The cited quote says it’s “significant” that Beijing could have played a role in the 2019 Liberal nomination contest. It also says some ridings were potentially affected by foreign interference.

Mr. Chong also said he hopes Ms. Joly will raise the plight of persecuted minorities in China, and speak out about the illegal Chinese police stations on Canadian soil.

“I hope she tells her PRC counterpart that Beijing must cease these activities immediately or Canada will do what France did just weeks ago: Expel any PRC diplomats associated with these illegal police stations,” he wrote.

Mr. Chong himself has been a target of the Chinese Communist Party’s harassments, as intelligence authorities have advised that Beijing threatened his family members in Hong Kong because of his criticism of China’s rights abuses.

In a July 18 statement issued by Global Affairs Canada (GAC), Ms. Joly said Canada is “committed to engaging pragmatically with a wide range of countries to advance our national interests and uphold our values.”

Ms. Joly’s office did not respond to questions from The Epoch Times on whether the minister will raise foreign interference and human rights issues during her visit.

The GAC statement announcing Ms. Joly’s trip to China was released after the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the visit would take place from July 18 to 20.

GAC said on July 16 that Ms. Joly was leaving for South Korea, but there was originally no mention of a stop in China.

In its latest statement, the department says Ms. Joly and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi will be discussing “possible avenues for collaboration on common challenges” and “concrete ways to enhance the already deep ties between the people of Canada and China.”

The official visit is the first by a Canadian foreign minister in seven years. Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault went to Beijing last summer, which was the first visit by a minister since relations soured in late 2018 over the Meng Wangzhou affair.

Mr. Guilbeault’s visit took place while there was significant public pressure on the government to address the issue of Beijing’s interference in Canada’s democracy. Ottawa announced shortly after a public inquiry into the matter was being launched, with support from all major parties in the House of Commons.

Expelling Foreign Intelligence Operatives

Mr. Chong also raised cyberattacks attributed to China and other destabilizing activities in the South China Sea.

The Tory MP also addressed the recent passing of a bill to counter foreign interference, which includes the implementation of a foreign influence registry, saying he hopes Ms. Joly will mention it.

“I hope she tells the PRC that foreign intelligence operatives will be expelled from Canada,” he said.

A Chinese diplomat involved in intelligence gathering against MP Chong was expelled by GAC in May.