Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that achieving a political rapprochement with China is currently unfeasible, citing political decisions by the Chinese regime that have further strained its global relationships.
“A rapprochement? No. Certainly not at this particular moment,” Mr. Trudeau said during
an interview with Bloomberg’s Erik Schatzker in Singapore on Sept. 7. “China has made decisions over the past years that have made it more difficult—not just for Canada, but for other countries—to engage.”
He highlighted Beijing’s arbitrary detention of Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. Their imprisonment of more than 1,000 days was widely regarded as an instance of China’s hostage diplomacy, in response to Canada’s arrest of Huawei senior executive Meng Wanzhou.
Mr. Trudeau also noted that the relationship between Canada and China remains strained, even following the release of the two Canadians in
September 2021. He attributed this ongoing tension in part to “real concerns around foreign interference.”
Reports of Beijing’s alleged foreign interference in Canada have gained prominence in recent months, with allegations including its involvement in two federal elections in 2019 and 2021.
In November 2022, Global News reported on Beijing’s alleged attempt to influence the 2019 election, citing national security sources stating that Canada’s intelligence officials had warned Mr. Trudeau about China’s interference campaign, which involved funding a clandestine network of at least 11 federal candidates. In articles published in February, The Globe and Mail reported on Beijing’s strategies for interfering in Canada’s 2021 federal election. Months after these reports came out, on Sept. 7, the federal government reportedly appointed Quebec Court of Appeal Justice Marie-Josée Hogue to lead a public inquiry into interference by foreign states. The Liberal government had resisted holding a public inquiry to investigate election interference and, instead, appointed former governor general David Johnston as a special rapporteur on foreign interference in March. Following Mr. Johnston’s resignation in June, the government engaged in negotiations with opposition parties to determine the parameters of an inquiry.
Actions
Mr. Trudeau’s comment on an unlikely rapprochement with China comes just days after Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault attended
a Beijing-led environmental forum at the Chinese capital, held between Aug. 26 and Aug. 31.
The Liberal government views the environment as an area where it needs to collaborate with Beijing, and
Mr. Guilbeault said the trip would also be used to try to rebuild diplomatic ties. While the environmental forum garnered substantial coverage in English versions of Chinese state media, they did not include comments from Mr. Guilbeault, save for
one article by Xinhua News Agency.
In addition to its resisting a public inquiry, the Liberal government has faced criticism from
China analysts for delays in passing legislation to create a foreign agent registry in Canada. This registry would aim to enhance transparency regarding the activities of individuals and organizations lobbying on behalf of foreign authorities within Canada.
While testifying before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs in May,
Christian Leuprecht, professor at the Royal Military College of Canada, attributed this delay in establishing a foreign agent registry to the regime’s “elite capture,” which involves the targeting of Canadian politicians.
When questioned about the Liberal government’s reluctance to enact legislation for the establishment of a foreign agent registry, Mr. Trudeau told Bloomberg that it is a “complex issue” that requires careful consideration. He also seemed to allude to Canada’s historical Chinese Immigration Act, also known as the Chinese Exclusion Act, as it resulted in the prohibition of Chinese immigrants.
The Liberal government concluded a
public consultation in May on the approach of potentially creating a foreign agent registry. When asked about the progress on Sept. 7, Mr. Trudeau refrained from specifying a timeline.
Noé Chartier contributed to this report.
