A parliamentary report is urging the Canadian government to confront the Chinese Communist Party's human rights abuses, recognize Taiwan’s international status, and support Tibetans' right to self-determination.
Blacklock's Reporter says the Commons Special Committee on Canada-China Relations released its most forceful recommendations to date, highlighting Beijing's mass persecution, forced labour practices, and suppression of minorities.
“Although witnesses were largely in favour of resuming diplomatic activity between Canada and the People’s Republic of China using a so-called pragmatic approach, as some witnesses noted and as this report shows, the fact remains serious high level discussions are needed regarding human rights abuses committed by China,” the committee wrote.
The report recommends that the Canadian government publicly acknowledge “Taiwan’s future must be determined peacefully and in accordance with the wishes of the Taiwanese people” and advocate for Taiwan’s inclusion in international organizations such as the World Health Organization.
Further recommendations include integrating human rights provisions into new trade agreements, promoting democratic values, and condemning China’s “mass imprisonment, torture and persecution of members of the Uyghur ethnic minority and other minorities.”
The report also calls for supporting Tibetans’ right to self-determination and denouncing China’s use of forced labor.
“It was necessary and relevant for the Special Committee to study Canada’s strategy in greater depth,” the MPs noted, requesting a formal cabinet response.
The Special Committee was established in December 2019 following a parliamentary vote that marked the first defeat of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s minority government.
At the time, Conservative MP Erin O’Toole said the move reflected “serious concerns with the Prime Minister’s ability to govern in Canada’s national interest on the world stage.”
O’Toole criticized the government’s handling of Canada-China relations, saying, “Canada cannot and must not relinquish our unbridled support for the rule of law, for human rights and for standing up for our allies.”
In previous reports, the committee has called for the resumption of official visits to Taiwan, last conducted 26 years ago, and urged exploration of ways to revoke the passports of Chinese Canadians under espionage investigations.
It has also pressed for the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board to divest from Chinese firms implicated in human rights violations, citing a lack of current measures preventing such investments.
“Much more needs to be done,” Conservative MP Michael Chong said in 2022, advocating for an extended mandate for the Special Committee.
“Much more study and analysis needs to be done.”