The Canadian media recently revealed that the Canadian Department of National Defence has cancelled all military interactions with the Chinese Communist Party since last year, but the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs is concerned that the move could affect the safety of two Canadians who were arrested by the Chinese Communist Party. Canada’s opposition parties have pointed out that the Chinese PLA, which steals Canadian intellectual property and even covets Arctic interests, cannot be trusted and that giving in to the Chinese Communist Party will only lead to worse results.
Government documents obtained by the Canadian Press under the Freedom of Information Act show that the Canadian Department of National Defence cancelled about ten cooperation and activities with the PLA last year, including winter military exercises between the two countries, assistance in training the PLA in polar regions, and training courses for UN peacekeeping missions. The documents show that the U.S. raised concerns about military exercises between Canada and the Chinese Communist Party, and that the decision to reduce ties with the PLA was prompted by the incident involving Meng Wanzhou and two Canadians – Kang Mingkai and Spavor – in late 2018.
However, government documents also reveal that Ian Shugart, then Canada’s deputy foreign minister and now clerk of the Privy Council, had a different opinion and wrote to the Department of National Defence last year that “cancelling cooperation with the PLA could damage the longstanding defence and security relationship between the two countries and that the Chinese Communist Party would perceive it as retaliation by Canada, which would affect the safety and security of both Canadians’ safety and security.” Shugart also reminded the Department of National Defence that the Department of Foreign Affairs should be notified of any future cancellations.
Shugart is the figure who reports directly to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in other words, represents the views of the Trudeau government.
Erin O’Toole, leader of Canada’s largest opposition party, the Conservative Party, criticized the Trudeau government for being subservient to the Chinese Communist Party and for failing to rescue Kang Mingkai and Spavor over the past two years, only to allow the Chinese Communist Party to bully Canada more and more, from trade retaliation in the beginning to taking advantage of Canadian vaccine research but refusing to honor the contract, further victimizing Canadian citizens. O’Toole said Canada’s Department of National Defence was right to decide that there should be no military cooperation and mutual assistance with the Chinese Communist Party, which is an enemy, not a friend, to Canada: “It’s no accident that the Canadian military terminated its relationship with the Chinese Communist Party because the PLA was stealing our intellectual property rights, conducting cyber espionage and interfering with Canadian society. In short, what the CCP has done confirms that it is not a partner or friend of Canada and that the CCP only violates human rights and the rule of law.”
Canadian current affairs commentator Guo Yiping said there is a faction in the Trudeau government that still has good expectations of the CCP, or perhaps it is Trudeau’s own character of trying to play nice on both sides, so he can’t get a clear direction on China policy. But the reality is in front of us, the Chinese Communist Party does not take Canada into account, and in the past few years also ambitious to plunder the Arctic resources, fearing that will erode Canadian interests, and Canada and the United States signed a joint air defense agreement, the military strategy must be consistent: “All the radar stations of the United States are in the north of Canada, the United States cruise missiles also in the north of our test fire, and at the same time there are many intelligence stations in the north, is the United States and Canada together. The United States and Canada built them together. In terms of this piece, the United States and Canada have to work together as enemies. All of Canada’s defense is tied to the United States and also to the Five Eyes.”
Canadian warships have sailed through the Taiwan Strait several times this year and also participated in the U.S.-Japan military exercises held in late October.
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