Canada’s elites have long acted as if the detention of the ‘Two Michaels’ was what was stopping us from getting tougher on China. Well, now that China’s hostage diplomacy has been confirmed, there is zero excuse for our country to avoid a crackdown.
For over 1,000 days, anytime someone brought up the need for Canada to ban Huawei and crackdown on China’s efforts to influence Canada, the response from many of Canada’s political and corporate elites was that our country couldn’t do it, since it could put Michael Kovrig & Michael Spavor at risk.
Now, we have to point out that those same elites were against cracking down on China even before the ‘Two Michaels’ were being held hostage.
Back then, they said it was because we couldn’t put trade or investment at risk.
They changed to talking about the Two Michaels because it was a more politically palatable reason to avoid pushing back against China.
Well, with the Two Michaels back in Canada, that ‘palatable’ reason is no longer available to them.
China’s hostage diplomacy confirmed
One of the most stunning things about China releasing Kovrig & Spavor immediately after Meng Wanzhou’s deal with the US, was how they didn’t pretend it was anything other than hostage diplomacy.
The entire time Kovrig & Spavor were jailed in China, the Chinese Communist state claimed their cases were ‘unrelated’ to Meng Wanzhou being held in this country.
While nobody believed it, since the timing of their detention lined up almost exactly with the proceedings against Meng, China was at least trying to act as if they had a legal system with a shred of independence.
Those claims were even repeated and backed by some here in Canada, with China’s usual defenders repeating the propaganda lines of the Communist State.
But now, with China having released Kovrig & Spavor immediately after Meng Wanzhou got a deferred prosecution agreement with the United States, literally nobody can deny it was hostage diplomacy the entire time.
Expect the elites to try and forget this ever happened
Most Canadians won’t be forgetting this.
China has shown themselves willing to simply grab two Canadians in China and use them as hostages to try and get their way in a dispute with the United States.
All of the attempts by Justin Trudeau to praise China, suck up to China, and be submissive to China, all the endless talk of Norman Bethune and some sort of ‘connection’ between Canada and China is all revealed as meaningless.
To China, Canada is nothing but a small country with a fraction of their population, and all we are good for is being used as a punching bag to send a message of intimidation to other democratic nations.
A realistic appraisal of our situation
To deal with any problem or challenge, it must first be acknowledged as what it is.
When it comes to China, much of our elitist political and corporate class has failed to acknowledge our reality.
China is not looking for a close relationship or partnership with Canada. What they want from Canada, and from other countries seen as ‘beneath’ them is for us to allow ourselves to be influenced, co-opted, and manipulated into being a mere instrument of China’s will.
Our proximity to the United States, and our deep ties with the United States, also makes Canada an enticing target for co-option and influence.
If they feel they can’t use us in that way, then Canada is simply nothing to them, and they will look for others to fulfill their agenda.
What this means is that Canada must accept a submissive posture if we want to continue expanding our trade with China. We would also have to sacrifice our values.
That is the choice:
Stay true to ourselves, our values, and our principles, or sell all of that out in the hope for more trade.
That’s the choice Australia faced, as China has sought to economically punish that country for ‘daring’ to call for an independent inquiry into the origins of Covid-19.
Yet, despite Australia being far more economically reliant upon China than Canada is (by a massive degree), they have shown some courage when dealing with China.
Not only has Australia refused to give in to China’s threats, but they have deepened their ties with democratic nations like the United States and the United Kingdom, forming a deeper alliance to construct nuclear submarines and strengthen defence ties.
Further, Australia, the US, Japan, and India have been expanding their ‘Quad’ alliance, a clear counter-balancing coalition to deter China’s rising aggression and threats.
Canada left out
In all of this, Canada has been left out.
The Liberal government, due both to Justin Trudeau’s disturbing affinity for the Chinese Communist State, and the ‘woke’ attitude that sees everything that is ‘Western’ as bad, has caused Canada to have much weaker ties with our core civilizational allies.
Meanwhile – as the hostage diplomacy of China has made clear – we also have terrible ties with China.
Thus, we are left in a terrible position.
The solution, of course, is simple: Renew ties with our Western allies.
Canada will always have far more in common with the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
Our history is linked, our values are similar, and we are based upon the same civilization.
Our Citizens have clearly already made this decision with public opinion having turned dramatically against China, and the undeniable confirmation that China was using hostage diplomacy. This will only deepen the anger many Canadians feel towards the Communist State.
It’s only our government and corporate class that are refusing to acknowledge reality.
What we must do
The next days and weeks will be instructive.
While Trudeau will try to take credit for the release of the Two Michaels, the reality is that the United States was largely responsible.
And it’s clear the United States is expecting Canada to finally get tougher on China:
“Biden’s choice for the next ambassador to Ottawa says the U.S. is waiting for Justin Trudeau’s long-promised update to Canada’s China policy.
David Cohen’s remarks Wednesday to a Senate hearing came amid fresh questions about the depth of the Trudeau government’s engagement with the U.S. president on China-related issues.
“We are all waiting for Canada to release its framework for its overall China policy,” Cohen told a meeting on his nomination before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “As ambassador, if I’m confirmed, it’s an appropriate role to be engaged in discussions and make sure that Canada’s policies reflect its words in terms of the treatment of China.”
Cohen added that it’s key for the U.S. and Canada to improve their collaboration and coordination in taking on the “existential threat that is China.””
This can be easily done.
First, we can ban Huawei. Most of our close allies have done so, and now there is no excuse not to take that action.
Second, we can seek to join the Quad and become part of the US, UK, Australia alliance.
Third, we can begin to boost our military spending with – as I’ve noted before – a focus on hypersonic weapons and our air force.
Fourth, we can reduce our reliance on China by deepening trade ties with democratic nations, and imposing tariffs on products from China.
And fifth, we should impose a travel advisory on China.
Those are all steps that would show our commitment to our democratic allies, and make it clear to China that their mistreatment of our Citizens will only result in our strengthened resolve.
Spencer Fernando
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