We Don't Have to Trade With China

Even before Justin gushed about his boy-crush on China, his father was pretending that Mao was never starving his people.

We can no longer pretend that China is not stealing intellectual and industrial property, is threatening people domestically, or that it has not involved itself with those in positions of power and influence in this country.

When a real country would have expelled an offending party from the country immediately, the Trudeau government waited until the political winds caught the stench of disfavour.

A diplomat can be replaced with another one. 

Business carries on.

Nothing has changed:

The news came to light last week and caused a furor, in part due to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s initial refusal to say when he had learned of the threats. Trudeau subsequently tossed CSIS under the bus, claiming that they had not elevated the information up to his office and that he had only learned of it “through media reports.” Then Canadians learned that CSIS had in fact informed Trudeau’s national security officer, who works in the Privy Council Office, which reports to the Prime Minister’s Office, back in 2021. 

Oops. Forty-eight hours and a lot of outrage later, the government sent Zhao packing. It didn’t take China that long to retaliate: the next day, it announced the expulsion of Canadian diplomat Jennifer Lynn Lalonde, a consul of the Consulate General of Canada in Shanghai. In the hours leading up to her expulsion, the Chinese government had threatened to “resolutely and forcefully respond” if Ottawa “keeps acting recklessly,” and accused Canadian media and politicians of “fabricating false information.” 

(Sidebar: threats, eh?)

In removing Zhao, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly stated, “We will not tolerate any form of foreign interference in our internal affairs.” Which is almost laughable, because this government, and those previously, have been tolerating it for years now.

Members of the Chinese diaspora have been sounding the alarm on interference, in the form of threats, intimidation, and coercion, for decades. Canada has allowed Chinese police stations to set up shop in Canada, for the purpose of “repatriating” (aka, kidnapping) dissidents and other persons that cause trouble for the Chinese regime. CSIS has been warning of interference as far back as 1997 — and the warnings have fallen on deaf ears. 

The question is, why? The answer is simple: self-interest, on the part of both our nation and individuals. On a business scale, self-interest in expanding trade with China and diversifying the market for our goods and resources. On the personal scale, access to cheap consumer goods and professional opportunities. On the academic scale, investments for cash-strapped universities and enrolment of thousands of students. 

And on a political scale, the desire to win elections — or more accurately, not to lose them. The 2021 election saw several Conservative MPs say they were targeted after they spoke out against China. Conservative leader Erin O’Toole suffered pushback for his stance as well.  

All of which explain why the current Liberal government waited five days to expel Zhao. The repercussions are real, and they will come. The question is whether the prime minister, and by extension, the business, political, and academic class will have the fortitude to weather them.  

What is our democracy worth? $19 billion of annual exports in agricultural goods and raw materials? $100 billion in imports last year of goods from cheap clothing to electronics? The $5 billion Chinese students contributed to the Canadian economy in 2018?  

There is no question that taking a hard line on China has a price, and we have a lot to lose. But if our country is compromised, we will lose more. And if we fail to protect fellow citizens from intimidation and harassment, whether an MP or an average voter, we fail not only our democracy, but each other. 

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MPs yesterday by a 170 to 150 vote defied cabinet in demanding a roundup of Chinese spies and mandatory registration of foreign agents in Canada. Cabinet expelled the first Chinese agent as the Commons voted for tough action against subterfuge: “We don’t know if there are others.”

 

Why not five years ago instead of this window-dressing?

I think we know why.