Canada's relationship with China has significantly deteriorated in recent years, with Chinese officials feeling "misunderstood" by Ottawa, testified David Morrison, Canada’s deputy foreign minister, during a Commission on Foreign Interference hearing. Blacklock's Reporter says Morrison stated that China once enjoyed a favorable relationship with Canada, but recent events have strained ties.“I think it’s fair to say China up until relatively recently enjoyed a fairly positive reputation and reception in this country and in this town,” Morrison told the commission. He added that, from his interactions with Chinese representatives, “China feels totally misunderstood by Canada."The sentiment was echoed in an In Camera Examination Summary by commission counsel. Morrison testified that Chinese officials are trying to repair their reputation in Canada, which has suffered significantly in recent years.“As Canada’s stance towards China has hardened, the People’s Republic has found it increasingly necessary to engage at the legislative level,” the report noted, explaining that Chinese officials have begun to approach legislators in an attempt to sway opinions in their favor. Morrison defended these activities as typical diplomatic behavior, saying, “Persuading or swaying members of a legislature to take positions more favourably to a country’s position is part of what diplomats do.”This perspective was met with skepticism by Conservative MP Michael Chong’s counsel, Gib van Ert, who expressed disbelief. “Witnesses have repeatedly told the Commission that Canada, far from being hard, is the weakest link,” van Ert argued, calling Morrison’s assessment of China’s diplomatic efforts “infantilizing” given the country’s sophistication and power.Van Ert also challenged Morrison's suggestion that Canada had hardened its stance on China, asserting, “Surely it’s China’s stance toward Canada that has hardened.”When pressed by van Ert about instances of Canadian foreign interference in China, Morrison responded that he was unaware of any, to which van Ert added, “Neither am I.”.During the hearing, Morrison also addressed Canada’s hesitance to label China’s actions in Xinjiang as genocide. A Commons subcommittee on foreign affairs in 2020 documented widespread abuses against the Uyghur Muslim minority, including forced labor, forced abortions, and mass detentions. Despite these findings, Morrison was cautious about using the term "genocide."“Why don’t you just call it genocide?” asked van Ert. Morrison responded, “Genocide has an extremely high legal threshold. I am not an international lawyer.”When van Ert pressed further, noting that Parliament had unanimously censured China in 2021 for crimes against humanity, Morrison declined to offer an opinion. He stated, “The legal threshold for genocide is high for a reason. People bandy the term about, in my view, inappropriately.”Morrison has previously faced criticism for downplaying a Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) warning that Chinese agents were targeting opposition MPs. At 2023 House affairs committee hearings, Morrison characterized the CSIS warning as “an information memo, not an action memo.” His response at the time led to further disbelief from Conservative MP John Nater, who remarked, “I find that simply astonishing.”
