National Post (National Edition)
Here’s how Canada can fight back against China.
The spectacle of Canada pleading publicly and plaintively with the U.S. and other allies for help on its major spat with China is as demeaning as it is proving to be futile. It is time we mustered more resolve of our own.
Authoritative regimes like China’s are impervious to public shaming and, since they exercise virtually total control over news distributed domestically, have little concern with international publicity. If anything, public attempts to cajole them are more likely to harden their bully tactics.
Despite assurances rendered through diplomatic channels it is unlikely that, during his discussions with Xi Jinping, Donald Trump gave any priority to Canada’s predicament even though the United States’ request that Canada extradite Meng Wanzhou, the CFO of Huawei, is what ignited Beijing’s abrupt retaliation. The spurious arrest of two Canadians and increased sentences for two already in custody, along with the imposition of a series of trade barriers on Canadian exports based on dubious allegations about standards and certifications, constitute blatant violations of international law. They cannot be ignored.
The U.S. is engaged in an intense trade battle of its own with China — one that gyrates daily from the erratic tweets and tariff actions by President Trump and poses a serious threat to the global economic situation. The two economic powers are riding tigers headed towards one another in a game of international chicken. The question is who will blink first and whether any solution will resolve genuine concerns about China’s blatant violations of international trade rules — the theft of intellectual property, forced divestitures of foreign technology, etc. The “Great Deal Maker” will likely settle for something modest that he will inevitably trumpet as “total victory” in the run-up to the 2020 elections. President-for-life Xi has no electoral concerns but, if the tariff war continues to weaken China’s economy, he may face internal challenges of a different order.
The Europeans are unlikely
to put Canadian concerns high on their agenda with Beijing. France and Germany have commercial aspirations of their own as a top priority with the world’s second-largest economy. Britain has similar commercial interests to advance along with the added complication of genuine concern about events in Hong Kong.
Because support from key allies is unlikely to help, Canada needs to act more deliberately on its own to temper the one-sided onslaught using the limited leverage at our disposal to gain some redress.
When Trump indicated that he might resolve the Huawei dispute as part of the trade negotiations with China, our Department of Justice might have rescinded the extradition order on the grounds that the case had been politicized. Having missed that opportunity Canada is left with the faint hope that America may resolve its issues with Huawei as part of the broad trade negotiations thereby rendering the extradition episode moot.
Failing that, however, Canada’s best approach will be to exercise quiet but persistent diplomacy aimed at gaining some relief for the incarcerated Canadians. Time may be the best antidote to alleviate this glaring violation of human rights. The nomination of Dominic Barton as Canada’s new ambassador is a good start, albeit coming eight months after the post was made vacant. Meanwhile, at every level of diplomatic engagement with China, we should press for enhanced consular access, better conditions and proper legal representation for the detainees. At the same time we should use all means possible to carefully scrutinize activities of Chinese operatives in Canada.
On a different level of diplomacy, we should follow the advice of some previous ambassadors to China and prudently support Taiwan’s aspirations for an enhanced role in international agencies where it has direct interests to advance. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is one ideal example. Special customs status with the CPTPP would be another and would have commercial potential for Canadian exports of agricultural products like those currently being blocked by China. This can be done in a non-provocative manner and without prejudice to Canada’s decision years ago to “take note” of China’s “one China” claim.
Equally, we cannot rest quietly on the sidelines should the situation in Hong Kong deteriorate and prompt direct intervention by Beijing. We have many Hong Kong Canadians in Canada and many in Hong Kong with Canadian citizenship. Those are interests that should anchor Canada’s response. If conditions worsen, we should do exactly what our government did in the wake of the Tiananmen massacre and extend a special welcome mat for refugees from Hong Kong.
Additionally, all provincial governments in Canada should be urged to follow the example of New Brunswick and restrict, if not ban outright, activities of Confucius Institutes because they operate in a manner inconsistent with basic principles of academic freedom. CSIS has openly acknowledged that these Institutes are “forms of spy agencies used by the Chinese government.” They should be treated accordingly.
On the commercial aspects, and given the fact that China enjoys a healthy trade surplus with Canada, we should expedite challenges at the WTO against the arbitrary and discriminatory measures that block Canadian exports of canola, beef and pork. Simultaneously, we should enhance rigorous customs inspections of all Chinese exports into Canada and use every means available to reject, or at least stall, the flow of some goods. (“Sauce for the goose should indeed be sauce of the gander.”)
History demonstrates that appeasement only serves to embolden arrogant actions by authoritarian regimes. Canada cannot expect others to do the job for us. Rather, we should act clearly to show that we will not be pushed around and that we have both the will and the means to challenge actions that contradict the most basic principles of diplomacy and international law.
National Post
THE U.S. IS ENGAGED IN AN INTENSE TRADE BATTLE OF ITS OWN WITH CHINA.
Derek H. Burney, a former Canadian ambassador to the U.S. and chief of staff to Brian Mulroney, is the co-author of a new book: “Braver Canada: Shaping Our Own Destiny in a More Precarious World,” published by McGill-Queen’s University Press.