A subversive move, but is it astute diplomacy?
The Conservative Party attempted to embarrass the Liberal government by asking Parliament to recognize that China is committing genocide in its campaign of repression against its Uyghur Muslim minority.
An amendment suggested by the Bloc Québécois urged the International Olympic Committee to move the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, if the Chinese continues its persecution.
As a feat of political subversion, it worked like a charm — a unanimous vote in favour of the motion, with the opposition parties joined by the entire Liberal backbench, while the cabinet abstained.
The Liberals attempted to salvage their reputation for compassion by allowing MPS to vote in favour.
But the abstention left the government looking unprincipled, if not unmoored.
Whether it was an astute act of diplomacy is another matter.
There can be no doubt that the Chinese government has been guilty of crimes against humanity in Xinjiang region. The Communist Party says claims of millions of people being subjected to forced labour and sterilization is a “concoction” of Western media. But the dictators of Beijing, shielded by their secret police and censors, are liars.
The accounts to the contrary are numerous and compelling. “The methods of the camps was not to kill us in cold blood but to make us slowly disappear,” recounted Gulbahar Haitiwaji in the Guardian, as she recalled her forced sterilization.
If corroborated, that would satisfy the legal definition for genocide as outlined by the UN convention of 1948 for genocide, which calls out “measures intended to prevent births within a group.”
That was certainly enough for the Trump administration, which in its last days in office, accused China of the most grievous of international crimes. The Biden administration has shown no signs it intends to rescind that branding.
But genocide has been reserved in common usage for the most abhorrent acts of ethnic cleansing in recent history — the Holocaust, Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfur.
Despite the wealth of evidence of China’s coercion, there is no proof that it has committed mass murder. To equate the treatment of the Uyghurs with the Holocaust risks debasing the power of the word genocide.
The Trudeau government has hemmed and hawed over its position — while expressing concerns over the allegations, the prime minister said Canada needs to “ensure the i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed” before making a determination on genocide — a position decidedly more considered than his acceptance of the report into murdered and missing Indigenous women, which he conceded was an “act of genocide.”
The prime minister would have been better off explaining why his cabinet abstained.
Parliament’s endorsement of the genocide motion is likely to prove counterproductive to attempts to release Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig. The most probable repercussions are indignation and retaliation.
Rather than a provocative exercise in virtue signalling, this country needs a real China policy — one that recognizes Beijing’s unremitting efforts at patient accumulation of advantage.
Marc Garneau encapsulated his game-plan in an interview with National Post last week. “It is important to be engaged but it is important both countries understand each other,” he said. “That’s what we are seeking to do because we think that can lead to a constructive relationship in which we are honest with one another.”
The new global affairs minister is likely to be doubly disappointed if he expects the rapport to be constructive or honest. But it is important that China understands Canada and its allies intend to challenge its drive for geopolitical dominance.
That means completing the purchase of our fighter plane replacement program in short order; it means establishing a new watchdog body aimed at countering Chinese interference in Canada; it means more closely monitoring technology co-operation with Chinese companies and universities, and, it means making clear the diplomatic and trade consequences of an invasion of Taiwan.
We should engage where interests overlap, such as in climate change, where China has recognized that it cannot be a world leader without being a climate leader.
It does not mean risking escalation with bravado.
François-philippe Champagne made little lasting impact during his time as foreign minister but he was right to decry irresponsible tough talk. “To those who are seduced by this one-dimensional view, I say this: ‘While it is easy to be tough, let’s continue to be smart.’”
The declaration of genocide prompts the question: what next?
Parliament has taken the nuclear option. Logically, that requires Canada to impose the most severe penalties and cut all political, economic and cultural ties. In the 21st century, that is not a realistic proposition.
China should be called out for crimes against humanity and challenged for all of its abuses. But in common usage, genocide means killing people. The taint and disgrace of that designation should not be diminished.