Chinese official warns Canada on human rights pressure

Writing in the Globe and Mail newspaper, the Chinese ambassador warned Canadians to not be “blinded” by their differences over human rights and “ignore the overall interests of co-operation.” The ambassador wrote the editorial in response to a finger-wagging outburst by China’s visiting foreign minister Wang Yi over a reporter’s question about China’s human rights record.

‘Wang probably regrets it’

“I think it was unfortunate. I feel that Mr. Wang probably regrets it,” says Prof. Charles Burton, a former advisor to the Canadian embassy in Beijing. Burton thinks Wang may have been exasperated by Canada’s foreign minister and prime minister raising the issue of human rights and the case of Canadian Kevin Garratt detained by Chinese authorities.

“It was troubling and I think it changed the whole focus of his trip to Canada away from the issues that he wanted to explore.” Those included more cooperation to return Chinese nationals China’s government feels are guilty of corruption and other crimes, the free trade agreement, and China’s desire that Canada build an oil pipeline from its western oilsands to the Pacific coast.

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Canada marks Tiananmen Square repression

Before winning last October’s election, the Liberal Party’s main focus on China consisted of promoting prosperity and encouraging trade and investment. But Burton notes that now the government is asking questions about human rights in China and both the embassy in Beijing and the consul-general in Hong Kong issued statements on the recent anniversary of the Tiananmen Square repression in 1989.

Chinese spying an issue too

He says the government of Canada seems to be responding to widespread concern among Canadians about these issues. It also is responding to concerns expressed by Canada’s security agencies over Chinese spying on Canadian agencies and companies.

The prime minister will visit China one week prior to the G20 meeting in September. Burton says it is difficult to predict how the visit will go.

“Clearly it’s important that Canada engage China economically. The question really is to what extent we have to sacrifice our Canadian values to achieve that. Will the Chinese be prepared to engage in trade with us if we continue to express our concerns over Chinese human rights and the cyber espionage question.”