Canada should work with countries aggrieved by China

Re Canada alone cannot stop China, July 2

Martin Regg Cohn presents an eminently sensible argument for how Canada should respond to China’s arbitrary imprisonment of two Canadian citizens.

In order to make Beijing give serious attention to Canada’s grievances, he suggests the government should work with allies who’ve been “antagonized and aggrieved by China in recent days, months and years.”

Acting together, this group, including Australia, India, Philippines, Sweden, the U.K. and the U.S., could exert the kind of leverage that China would find difficult to ignore.

In China, law and order means obedience to the Communist government.

It uses law to punish critics and discourage dissent as well as a means to pressure or punish other countries.

Cohn cites the example of “the 2015 kidnapping of a (Swedish) citizen,” who was held for years before facing trial and a sentence of 10 years of imprisonment.

Canadians cannot expect a fair trial for the imprisoned “two Michaels.”

A swap of those Canadians with Huawei’s Meng would mean giving in to Chinese intimidation.

Canada, he writes, needs “a clear-headed reassessment of bilateral relations” with a country that acts like a bully. We should link up with friends and allies “using the only language China understands.”

Surely all federal political parties can agree that a new, strongly assertive policy toward China is needed now.

Wesley Turner, St. Catharines