By Marc Patrone.It’s time to get tough on China, says Canada’s former Foreign Affairs minister..Canada should consider trade sanctions and a boycott of February’s Winter Olympics in Beijing in response to China’s harsh sentencing of Calgary businessman Michael Spavor, and the death sentence handed BC man Robert Schellenberg, said Peter MacKay..A Chinese court on Wednesday sentenced Spavor to 11 years after a conviction on spying charges and of illegally providing state secrets to foreign entities..MacKay says Canada must “lock arms” with countries with similar values as our own in order to remind China there are consequences to “bullying” type behaviour..In a radio interview with Sauga960am, MacKay said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s description of the conviction as “absolutely unacceptable and unjust,” is accurate, but won’t be enough to help Canadians incarcerated in that country gain their release..“I think we do have to explore sanctions now. China does respond to a public calling out on things like the treatment of Uighurs, their own citizens, their interventions and in Hong Kong or interventions with their neighbours,” he said..MacKay says Canada can work with international partners including Asian nations like Japan, and South Korea, to apply pressure on China. .Those pressures can be economic and cultural.. As far as trade sanctions go, China has not hesitated to punish countries, including Canada and Australia, when it sees fit, MacKay noted..MacKay says a similar dose of trade measures might go a long way if it’s done with the cooperation of others in the international community..“Whether it’s a boycott of the Olympic Games, whether it’s looking at trade sanctions, China certainly didn’t hesitate to slap trade sanctions on Canadian soy and pork products,” he said..“We need to really lock arms with countries, including countries in the region that are like-minded and South Korea other countries that share our values because Chinese is acting in a classic bully fashion and we have citizens whose lives are at risk.”.On Tuesday, Schellenberg of Abbotsford, had his death sentence for drug smuggling upheld by a Chinese court..Another arbitrarily detained Canadian, Michael Kovrig, is still languishing in jail awaiting his sentence..… more to come.This is what the Western Standard is up againstThe Trudeau government is funding lies and propaganda by directly subsidizing the mainstream media. They do this to entrench the powerful Eastern, woke and corrupt interests that dominate the political, social and economic institutions in Canada. Federal authorities are constantly trying to censor us and stop us from publishing the stories that they don’t want you to read. Ottawa may weaponize our taxes and police against us, but we’ve got a powerful ally on our side.You. Free men, and free women. We need you to stand with us and become a member of the Western Standard. Here’s what you will get for your membership:Unlimited access to all articles from the Western Standard, Alberta Report, West Coast Standard, and Saskatchewan Standard, with no paywall. Our daily newsletter delivered to your inbox. .Access to exclusive Member-only WS events.Keep the West’s leading independent media voice strong and free.If you can, please support us with a monthly or annual membership. It takes just a moment to set up, and you will be making a big impact on keeping one the last independent media outlets in Canada free from Ottawa’s corrupting influence.
By Marc Patrone.It’s time to get tough on China, says Canada’s former Foreign Affairs minister..Canada should consider trade sanctions and a boycott of February’s Winter Olympics in Beijing in response to China’s harsh sentencing of Calgary businessman Michael Spavor, and the death sentence handed BC man Robert Schellenberg, said Peter MacKay..A Chinese court on Wednesday sentenced Spavor to 11 years after a conviction on spying charges and of illegally providing state secrets to foreign entities..MacKay says Canada must “lock arms” with countries with similar values as our own in order to remind China there are consequences to “bullying” type behaviour..In a radio interview with Sauga960am, MacKay said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s description of the conviction as “absolutely unacceptable and unjust,” is accurate, but won’t be enough to help Canadians incarcerated in that country gain their release..“I think we do have to explore sanctions now. China does respond to a public calling out on things like the treatment of Uighurs, their own citizens, their interventions and in Hong Kong or interventions with their neighbours,” he said..MacKay says Canada can work with international partners including Asian nations like Japan, and South Korea, to apply pressure on China. .Those pressures can be economic and cultural.. As far as trade sanctions go, China has not hesitated to punish countries, including Canada and Australia, when it sees fit, MacKay noted..MacKay says a similar dose of trade measures might go a long way if it’s done with the cooperation of others in the international community..“Whether it’s a boycott of the Olympic Games, whether it’s looking at trade sanctions, China certainly didn’t hesitate to slap trade sanctions on Canadian soy and pork products,” he said..“We need to really lock arms with countries, including countries in the region that are like-minded and South Korea other countries that share our values because Chinese is acting in a classic bully fashion and we have citizens whose lives are at risk.”.On Tuesday, Schellenberg of Abbotsford, had his death sentence for drug smuggling upheld by a Chinese court..Another arbitrarily detained Canadian, Michael Kovrig, is still languishing in jail awaiting his sentence..… more to come.This is what the Western Standard is up againstThe Trudeau government is funding lies and propaganda by directly subsidizing the mainstream media. They do this to entrench the powerful Eastern, woke and corrupt interests that dominate the political, social and economic institutions in Canada. Federal authorities are constantly trying to censor us and stop us from publishing the stories that they don’t want you to read. Ottawa may weaponize our taxes and police against us, but we’ve got a powerful ally on our side.You. Free men, and free women. We need you to stand with us and become a member of the Western Standard. Here’s what you will get for your membership:Unlimited access to all articles from the Western Standard, Alberta Report, West Coast Standard, and Saskatchewan Standard, with no paywall. Our daily newsletter delivered to your inbox. .Access to exclusive Member-only WS events.Keep the West’s leading independent media voice strong and free.If you can, please support us with a monthly or annual membership. It takes just a moment to set up, and you will be making a big impact on keeping one the last independent media outlets in Canada free from Ottawa’s corrupting influence.
