[Interview before leaving, Part 2]: Consul General of Canada, responsibility to voice out and act when human rights are infringed
Translated by Guardians of Hong Kong May 31, 2021
In recent months, the Canadian government showed a strong stance by criticising China on Xinjiang human rights issues Canada even sanctioned the involved Chinese officials. When asked about the Sino-Canadian relationship, Jeff NANKIVELL, Consul General of Canada in Hong Kong, smiles, “it’s complicated.” Regarding whether Canada will proactively join other countries to “besiege China”, he does not answer directly. However he stresses that Canada, as part of the international community, “when we see human rights infringed and violated, we have a responsibility to voice out and take actions to let the international community see the truth clearly.”
The XinJiang human rights issue has become a diplomatic focus. In March, Canada, United Kingdom and United States made a joint statement to show their concerns on China’s ongoing infringement of human rights. Afterwards, Canada sanctioned the involved Chinese officials and entities via travel ban and asset freeze. Also, Marc GARNEAU, Minister of Foreign Affairs, once described the Chinese government as a “bully”. He stated that if China wanted to act on the international stage, it needed to follow the rule of law of the international community.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not stay idle and ”counter sanctioned” Michael David CHONG, a member of the Canadian House of Commons, together with the Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development.
Nankivell affirmed, “It's not targeted against any nation, it's targeted against violations of human rights.”
“Not against any nation, only against human rights violations.”
Nankivell points out that over the years he was always aware of human rights violations in China. He then promises he will continue to closely follow the matter in the future. He also states that Canada will collaborate with other countries to take relevant actions against human rights violations in Xinjiang committed by the Chinese Communist Party.
Other than sanctions, the speeches of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs were getting fierce. On 28 March LI Yang, Consul General of China in Rio de Janeiro, called Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister, a “Boy” in a Twitter post with a picture of Trudeau. He continued to say “Canada has become a war hound and a spendthrift of the US”.
Nankivell says the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and their diplomats in Canada take “very strong” stances in certain speeches. They even use “non-diplomatic languages” on certain topics.
He points out that Canada had responded. The Canadian government invited the Chinese ambassador for conversations after his speech about Hong Kong and Canadian citizens residing there. “We (Canada) have been responding with our usual diplomatic practices and principles.”
The Chief Financial Officer of Huawei, MENG Wan-zhou, was arrested in Canada in December 2018. However after two and a half years the extradition process is still not finished. Since then the Sino-Canadian relationship has become tense. Two Canadians, Michael KOVRIG, former Canadian diplomat, and businessman Michael SPAVOR, were detained in China, alleged for “espionage”.
Source: Stand News #May10
Author: CHAN Yan-Kee
Interviewers: CHAN Yan-Kee and FG
#Canada #JeffNankivell #ConsulGeneralCanadaInHK