Former Liberal MP Han Dong should have faced “serious consequences” for discussing the case of imprisoned Canadians with the Chinese consulate without informing the government, says a former Canadian ambassador to China. Dong, who is now sitting as an Independent MP representing Toronto’s Dong Valley North riding, resigned from the Liberal caucus on March 22,…

Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who were arbitrarily detained in China for over three years, received a standing ovation in the House of Commons ahead of U.S. President Joe Biden’s address on March 24. The two Canadians, who became known as the “two Michaels,” were imprisoned from late 2018 until the fall of 2021. Their…

MP Han Dong said March 22 he is resigning from the Liberal caucus after a news report alleged he had told a Chinese diplomat that Beijing should not release two Canadian citizens who had been arbitrarily detained in China, an allegation that Dong denies. “I’m taking this extraordinary step because to sit in the government caucus…

A federal unit that tracks foreign interference has identified what appeared to be a co-ordinated information campaign by Chinese state media outlets to control the domestic narrative around the return of the “two Michaels” to Canada. Rapid Response Mechanism Canada found the effort also seemed intent on fostering confusion or doubt in Canada and internationally…

Commentary Canada has just received yet another opportunity that would help it refine its approach to China: the news that Dominic Barton has decided to step down as ambassador to China at the end of the year. On Dec. 6, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his gratitude to Barton for leading Canada’s team with “determination,…

Commentary Martin Lloyd-Jones, a well-known Protestant minister in Britain, had a rather effective quote that pithily described the duty of an ambassador. “An ambassador from any country,” he said, “is always conscious of the fact that he has a tremendous responsibility because he is the representative by whom his country is to be judged.” Indeed,…

Commentary If there’s anything for which members of Canada’s elite deserve any sort of distinction, it is their phenomenal inability to learn from experience and see reality as it is. In our relationship with China, this is displayed to a degree that’d be comical if it wasn’t so dangerous. A poll done by Nanos following…

Commentary In his famous 1947 article “The Sources of Soviet Conduct,” the American diplomat and historian George Kennan described the “innate antagonism” between socialism and capitalism and how this had become “deeply embedded” in the foundations of the Soviet regime, making peaceful coexistence between the Soviet Union and the West difficult. “It means that there…

Prime Minster Justin Trudeau says he will reflect on Canada’s relationship with China as he prepares to form a new government in the coming weeks. During a press conference on Sept. 28, Trudeau was asked if he will take a harder line on China and ban Huawei from 5G as many of Canada’s allies have,…

Canada and China exchange detainees. Canada releases Chinese telecom giant Huawei’s CFO, while Beijing lets two detained Canadian citizens go home. Chinese state-owned media outlets are calling the incident a win for China, even daring to tell Canada to learn from the incident. Some Apple and Tesla suppliers halt production in China amid widespread power…