Harper raises range of concerns in meeting with Chinese President
Stephen Harper says he raised a comprehensive list of human rights concerns with Beijing during top-level meetings but didn't hear a single complaint in return on what once was a major disruption to the relationship -- Canada's decision to bar Chinese state-owned firms from further investment in the oil sands.
The Canadian prime minister, who spoke to reporters following his first lengthy sit-down with Chinese president Xi Jinping in Beijing Sunday, held up China’s silence on Canada's foreign investment policy – even behind closed doors -- as evidence the bilateral relationship is on the mend following a string of missteps.
As Mr. Harper wrapped up a brief official visit to China that generated $2.5-billion in business deals and a valuable Chinese currency trading hub for Canada, the prime minister made a point of noting this had all taken place even while he’d raised a laundry list of concerns with Beijing.
“I am not going to enumerate them all but I will just say you can rest assured that every single item that is important in the area of consular issues, human rights, governance, the rights of minorities – I have raised every single one of those” Mr. Harper told reporters.
The prime minister said these included the case of Kevin and Julia Garratt, a Canadian couple detained by Chinese authorities three months ago on accusations of spying. They were taken into custody only days after Canada publicly blamed China for hacking federal government computers and Ottawa has been pressing Beijing to resolve the matter.
“That particular case is of particular concern to Canadians,” Mr. Harper said of the Garratts. “That is why I raised it.
Mr. Harper will make a brief appearance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Beijing Monday before flying home to attend Remembrance Day ceremonies in Ottawa. He originally cancelled his appearance at APEC, citing the need to be in Canada for November 11 after the slayings of two Canadian soldiers, but later arranged to show up briefly at the insistence of his Chinese hosts.
Mr. Harper argued Sunday that he’s been able to improve the China-Canada relationship on his own terms even in the face of criticism that he was being too moralistic or presumptuous about airing concerns with an Asian power whose economic might and population dwarf Canada’s.
He even recalled the stir he caused in 2006 when he vowed he wouldn’t sell out to the “almighty dollar” when dealing with China, saying his philosophy remains the same.
“ You may remember there was some controversy in the early days of this government when we said when we conducted relationships with China or any other country there were really three elements to that – there were not just economic interests, there were also fundamental human values, Canadian values and also our security interests,” Mr. Harper said.
“In all of those things, we insist that all of those things be on the table in this and any other relationship and that is the basis on which we have relationships,” Mr. Harper said.
The prime minister was quick to point out Sunday, when asked if China and Canada were mending fences, that neither Mr. Xi nor Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said a word about the Consevative government’s surprise decision less than two years ago to blacklist Beijing’s state-owned firms from further oil-sands investment.
“I have to tell you that the Chinese leadership did not raise with me at any point the issue of Canadian investment rules,” Mr. Harper noted.
He then added, bluntly, that China has no grounds to complain given how restrictive the Chinese market has proven to be for Canadian firms.
“It would be difficult for [Beijing] to do so given that Canada’s investment climate is so much freer than the investment climate here,” the prime minister said.
“According to our statistics, the Chinese have about five times the level of investment in Canada that we have in China,” Mr. Harper said.
“So if anything it’s on the other side that this issue really has to be addressed.”
Separately, one of the Garratts’ sons said he’s heartened by remarks that Mr. Li made to Canadian reporters Saturday.
The Chinese premier said wants the “rule of law” to govern what happens to the Garratts, a statement that appears to suggest it will be up to judges rather than arbitrary decisions which will govern any decision over the couples’ future.
“We believe that judicial authorities in China should be able to handle cases in accordance with the law,” Mr. Li said, adding that the “lawful rights and interests of people concerned should also be protected.
Simeon Garratt said he’s also encouraged by the fact the Chinese are granting Canadian consular staff access to his parents every two weeks, as opposed to other cases where those detained can only be visited infrequently, such as every three months.
He said he is happy to hear the premier’s talk of building a country based on rule of law. “I am fairly confident. I think this new chapter in Chinese judicial law is really a sort of new leaf for them,” Mr. Garratt said of Beijing.
He said he’s hopeful for a development soon.
“I would like to think that something like the prime minister visiting China could lead to the release of my parents but at the same time I don’t know how the political systems work necessarily,” Mr. Garratt said.
“And I am not going to get my hopes up. I am just going to pray for the best and hope that it happens.
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