Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison on Tuesday defended business relations with China despite acquiring solar panels from Beijing manufactured under slave labour. Morrison said the Chinese Communist party (CCP) is “helping” Canada’s climate initiatives by manufacturing solar panels. MPs meanwhile expressed astonishment at his remarks and pointed out the panels are made by slave labour and prohibited from being imported under Canadian trade law, per Blacklock’s Reporter. The Commons in 2021 voted to censure the CCP for ongoing atrocities including slavery. MPs in debate were told Uyghur Muslim slaves produce 41% of the world’s polysilicon used to manufacture solar panels, as well as 32% of all canned tomato products and 20% of all cotton.“China is, I believe by some measure, the world’s largest producer of photovoltaic solar panels,” Morrison testified at the Commons Special Committee on Canada-China Relations. “Now we have real issues with how and where they are produced but they are actually helping. Chinese production is helping countries around the world transition off dirty fuels.”“That is built by Uyghur forced labour. You didn’t express any concerns about that,” said Conservative MP Tom Kmiec.“I believe I did express concerns about that with all respect,” replied Morrison.“I would like to hear it,” said Kmiec. “Canada has been concerned for a very long time about the use of forced labor in Xinjiang and elsewhere,” replied Morrison.Conservative MP Kyle Seeback noted under the 2020 Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement importers are forbidden from taking delivery of slave-made goods. “We have an obligation. It says ‘shall.’ It is mandatory, ‘shall prohibit,’” said Seeback.“Canada under this government has seized nothing, zero.”Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) data confirm Customs agents have not intercepted any shipments of slave-made goods from China.Imports have included panels manufactured by Longi Green Energy Technology Company Ltd., a Chinese distributor cited by U.S. Customs for profiting from slave labour. The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board as recently as 2022 held $4 million in Longi shares.“Why would we not be doing this?” asked Seeback. “What is the great fear of actually doing something to stop the importation of these goods? Canada is being called a dumping ground, a dumping ground of goods made with forced labour.”“Why is there no action?”“With respect I am the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, not the Deputy Minister of Trade or the Deputy Minister of Labour,” replied Morrison.“You don’t have any understanding at all?” asked Seeback. “My understanding is this is under active review,” replied Morrison.
