China's Hostage Diplomacy 

Chinese President Xi Jinping poses with Canadian anthropologist Isabel Crook after awarding her a Friendship Medal during a ceremony on occasion of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China September 29, 2019.

"China does not have a legal system in any meaningful sense. It is a completely bogus system ... introduced in 1979 for reasons having little ... to do with any desire to implement Rule of Law ... China is a brutal police state ..."
Clive Ansley, former Shanghai lawyer

"Over two decades, the [Chinese Communist] regime has been directing a vast network organ-harvesting from prisoners of conscience -- primarily Falun Gong -- since 2001, but also from Tibetans, Christians and Muslim Uyghurs. By some estimates, two million Uyghurs confined to camps have all been blood-tested, as is necessary for organ transplant purposes."
David Kilgour, former Canadian Parliamentarian, Human Rights activist

China Tribunal, Final Judgement and Report, 17 June 2019

"[This tribunal is] certain that Falun Gong was ... probably the principal source ... of organs for forced organ harvesting ... very many people have died indescribably hideous deaths for no reason ... "
Sir Geoffrey Nice, former prosecutor, chair, International China Tribunal


China has made it well known that Canada is not its favourite partner in diplomacy and trade. When the RCMP made an airport arrest in December of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in response to an extradition treaty request by the U.S. Justice Department, the response from Beijing was fierce and swift. The arrests of two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, former businessman and diplomat respectively, under an arbitrary shield of spying on China, while two other Canadians charged with drug trafficking were given death sentences.

Ms. Wanzhou lives in bail luxury in one of her two Vancouver mansions, free to move about as she wishes, while two Canadians are on death row, and Kovrig and Spavor are kept in squalid jail cells, unmercifully subjected to 'soft' torture techniques and endless interrogations. China, in its fury with Canada moved on to inhibit trade in Canadian agricultural products, targeting canola, soybeans and pork imports on specious accusations of contamination. At the same time, China warns Canada that should it fail to include Huawei in its emerging 5G upgrade, there will be 'consequences'.

China detests 'splitists', and argues unceasingly for 'harmony'. Hong Kong as an example struggles against falling under the Communist China government's political control and has been fighting to regain assurances that their island state with special political and economic status will not be interfered with, as guaranteed in the 1997 handover from British oversight to Beijing, under the agreed-upon "one country, two systems" model that had a supposed shelf-life of 80 years.

Military vehicles carrying DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missiles drive past Tiananmen Square during the military parade marking the 70th founding anniversary of People's Republic of China, on its National Day in Beijing, China October 1, 2019.Thomas Peter / Reuters

Now, China celebrated on October 1st, the grand 70-year anniversary of Communist party rule. It paraded the latest weaponry through the streets of Beijing, as President Xi Jinping officiated at the ceremonies in great, colourful style. In obeisance to the economic and political and technological powerhouse that modern China under the rule of the CCP has become, there have been ceremonies celebrating that event everywhere China has a diplomatic presence. And there has been one in Vancouver through the auspices of the Chinese Benevolent Association, unsurprisingly, given Canada's huge expatriate Chinese population.

"During the event, Mr. Sajjan delivered brief remarks where he spoke of the long-standing focus of the organization on promoting diversity and their efforts to grant Chinese-Canadians the right to vote. Mr. Sajjan took the opportunity to state that the Chinese government needed to address the consular cases of the two arbitrarily-detained Canadians."
"...Shortly following the remarks, Mr. Sajjan departed. ... Mr. Sajjan did not stay for dinner."
Todd Lane, spokesman, Canadian Minister of Defence

Photos of Harjit Sajjan at a recent reception celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China are drawing criticism.  cbavancouver.com

"I don't think our politicians should attend the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] 70th anniversary at this moment while PRC retains our Canadians with no reason for over nine months."
"Canada should, with other leaders of the world, stand up against ever-encroaching authoritarianism from the PRC."
Mabel Tung, chair, Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement

"[It seems extremely odd [that Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan would attend an event celebrating the founding of the Chinese Communist Party] at a time [when] China is holding two Canadians hostage in retaliation for a perceived slight against a state-championed company."
Stephanie Carvin, professor of international affairs, Carleton University

"Interactions as such are part of the 'unnecessary evil' that comes with having formal ties. But we can apply a 'harm reduction' strategy to actively manage the interaction, and attending their functions doesn't mean our officials have to do everything on their terms."
Fenella Sung, Canadian Friends of Hong Kong

"The Mayor [John Tory, Toronto] is hopeful that in the very near future a resolution will be found to a number of issues between Canada and China which are of great concern to him and to all of the people of Toronto who strongly believe in addressing issues at home and abroad respectfully and with due process."
"The only way democracy prevails is by allowing free speech and free expression in our society. While the Chinese consulate is permitted to raise its flag on its national day, people are also free to object to that and to protest it."
Don Peat, spokesman, Mayor John Tory, Toronto

Photos of Harjit Sajjan at a recent reception celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China are drawing criticism. cbavancouver.com

Chinese authorities at the highest level have refused to take telephone calls, refused to meet in person with their Canadian counterparts who are striving to convince the Chinese government that diplomacy is the art of compromise and patience, of hearing out the perceptions and point of view of a counterpart and respecting their position, even if it fails to find favour with the one being addressed. It is not possible to compare the position of Huawei's CFO with that of the two Canadians arrested on trumped-up charges of espionage.

It is far from diplomatic to take such dramatic and diplomatically violent steps as to arrest another nation's nationals and expose them to harshly oppressive treatment as a sign of China's displeasure with their home country. It is gratuitously uncivilized in a global economy to shut down another nation's entry to a familiar market, throwing its agricultural economy into depression, while China emphasizes its contempt for Canadian rule of law.

And for a Canadian Minister of the Crown to distinguish himself by attending a celebration of China's People's Republic founding 70 years ago, as though little has occurred in the past year to disrupt diplomatic and trade relations between the two countries seems peculiar indeed. As though ingratiating himself to the Chinese consul-general will somehow register with Premier Xi, and help him relent in the persecution of Canadians and be politically useful to reestablish normal relations.

Michael Kovrig, left, and Michael Spavor AFP/Getty Images; AP

There is no dignity in this situation. Where Canada should be firm and unobliging to a a government that is caustically undiplomatic in charging Canada with 'racism', and vengeful in its abduction of Canadians doing business in China, unaware that their presence there makes them vulnerable to sudden 'disappearance', such that China visits upon its own dissenters, it cowers with trepidation.

To our great shame over this Canadian government's lack of political-diplomatic spine