diplomacy

Tuesday January 29, 2019

Look! It’s animated! Regular version is here.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday January 29, 2019

‘Debacle’ with China latest foreign policy flub for Trudeau, says Scheer

The “debacle” over the firing of Canada’s ambassador to China is the latest in a string of foreign-policy failures for the prime minister, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer charged on Monday.

January 24, 2019

Scheer also cited Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s controversial photo-op-filled trip to India last winter, said Trudeau made “concession after concession” on the trade front to U.S. President Donald Trump, and frustrated Japan and Australia when Canada didn’t immediately sign on to a rebooted Trans-Pacific Partnership in late 2017.

“It’s clear that the prime minister’s foreign policy is a disaster and Canadians are paying for his mistakes,” Scheer said in the first question of the government in the newly constructed House of Commons in the West Block of Parliament Hill.

The final sitting of Parliament before this fall’s federal election opened with the Liberals on the defensive, following Trudeau’s decision on Friday to fire ambassador John McCallum.

The move came after a turbulent week that saw McCallum — an experienced cabinet minister who was parachuted into a sensitive diplomatic job with Canada’s second-largest trading partner — go off script in Canada’s efforts to win the release of two men imprisoned by the People’s Republic after Canada arrested a Chinese telecommunications executive.

February 22, 2018

“After clowning around in India and inviting a convicted terrorist along with him, he then was forced to take concession after concession from Donald Trump. He even angered our partners in Japan and Australia. And now we have the debacle with China. Why did the prime minister show such weakness and wait so long to fire his ambassador?” Scheer demanded.

Trudeau sidestepped the question and reiterated taking points about how the government is devoted to the rule of law and remains committed to marshalling international support to win the release of the two Canadians and seek clemency for a third man facing a death sentence on drug charges.

Earlier Monday, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said McCallum was fired because he didn’t toe the government’s line in the current China crisis. (Continued: Globe & Mail) 

 

Saturday January 26, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday January 26, 2019

Canada ramps up pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro

Top federal officials, perhaps Prime Minister Justin Trudeau himself, will be reaching out to key European allies to encourage them to put more pressure on Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, CTV News has learned.

August 28, 2018

The news comes as Britain, France, Germany, Spain and Belgium threatened to recognize Venezuelan National Assembly President Juan Guaido as the nation’s interim president if elections aren’t called within eight days.

Canada, the United States and 10 other countries in the Lima Group have already recognized Guaido, who declared himself interim president of the troubled South American country on Wednesday.

Canada played a key role in organizing that declaration. On Saturday, Trudeau spoke with Colombian Ivan Duque Marquez about the situation.

Canada’s representative to the UN, Marc-Andree Blanchard, told a special meeting of the UN Security Council that Canada has “firmly rejected Nicolas Maduro’s illegitimate claim to power,” citing “fraudulent” elections last year.

Russia, meanwhile, accused Canada and the U.S. of encouraging a coup.

For the estimated three million people who have fled Venezuela’s economic and political crisis in recent years, the growing support for Guaido gives them hope that they will one day be able to return home.

William Mesa is a medical student who was forced to leave Venezuela for Colombia four years ago.

“Many Venezuelans were eating on the streets from the garbage,” he told CTV’s Omar Sachedina in Bogota.

In addition to his studies, Mesa also volunteers at a clothing donation facility that helps Venezuelan newcomers, just as he was helped when he fled from neighbouring country. (CTV News) 

 

Thursday January 24, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday January 24, 2019

Canada’s ambassador to China says Meng has strong defence to fight extradition

Canada’s top diplomat in China says the Huawei executive arrested in Vancouver at the request of the United States has a strong case to fight extradition, a position that has prompted backlash from the Conservative opposition in Ottawa who say this sort of interference by an ambassador should not be tolerated by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

January 10, 2019

Meng Wanzhou, the 46-year-old chief financial officer of the telecom giant, has “quite good arguments on her side,” John McCallum said at a news conference with Canadian and state-owned Chinese-language media in Markham, Ont., on Tuesday.

“One, political involvement by comments from Donald Trump in her case. Two, there’s an extraterritorial aspect to her case, and three, there’s the issue of Iran sanctions which are involved in her case, and Canada does not sign on to these Iran sanctions. So I think she has some strong arguments that she can make before a judge,” he said in his opening remarks.

McCallum said a judge will ultimately make the decision on whether she should be extradited, and stressed there has been “zero involvement” by the federal government.

“It’s purely a judicial process. There may come a time when the justice minister is required to give a view, but that will not be for some months to come,” he said.

November 12, 2015

“I know this has angered China, but we have a system of extradition treaty, a system of rules of law, which are above the government. The government cannot change these things, and as I said, I think Ms. Meng has quite a strong case.”

Despite those assurances, the Liberal government to this point has not weighed in on the merits of the case or offered an opinion on the possible legal avenues her counsel could pursue in court.

In fact, before McCallum’s remarks Tuesday, the government had studiously avoided discussing the facts of the case in public. (Source: CBC) 

 

Tuesday January 15, 2019

Tuesday January 14, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday January 15, 2019

What — and who — comes after Rahaf Mohammed?

If Canada were a proud and principled beacon unto the world’s most downtrodden, as so many so often claim, then one might have expected Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun to arrive at Pearson Airport in Toronto on Saturday with relatively little fanfare.

August 8, 2018

Canada resettles tens of thousands of refugees every year, after all, and many are fleeing circumstances just as horrific as the Saudi teenager’s abuse by her family. Canadian government officials are guarding Alqunun’s current whereabouts partly on grounds she might still be in danger even halfway around the world — an idea given credence by Dennis Horak, who was Canada’s ambassador in Riyadh until he was expelled over the summer.

Indeed, Saudi-Canadian relations are not in terrific shape just at the moment, thanks to our public rebukes of its treatment of activists, and granting immediate asylum to the world’s highest-profile Saudi refugee seems unlikely to help matters. One might very reasonably not give a damn about the House of Saud’s amour propre, but Ottawa would clearly prefer to repair those relations. Quite apart from anything else, it would give Canada more-than-zero leverage in lobbying on behalf of those activists — including imprisoned blogger Raif Badawi, whose wife is a Canadian citizen.

There were no good reasons to make a big show of Alqunun’s arrival, in other words, and plenty of good reasons not to. Furthermore, Justin Trudeau has been very clear about what he thinks of using refugees as political props. He was at his most thespian back in 2015 when it was alleged Stephen Harper’s office had been sifting through applications from Syrian asylum-seekers in search of potential photo ops.

“That’s DIS-GUST-ING,” Trudeau hissed at a campaign stop in Richmond, B.C. “That’s not the Canada we want; that’s not the Canada we need to build.”

In the end, though, there was Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland with her arm draped around Alqunun, announcing that this “brave new Canadian” would not be taking questions. Luckily, Freeland herself had arrived equipped with some crimson talking points.

December 12, 2018

“I believe in lighting a single candle,” she said. “Where we can save a single person, where we can save a single woman, that is a good thing to do. … And I’d like to also emphasize, this is part of a broader Canadian policy of supporting women and girls in Canada and around the world.”

“Canada is a country that understands how important it is to stand up for human rights, to stand up for women’s rights around the world,” Trudeau chimed in.

It would be well-nigh impossible to argue against hearing, at the very least, Alqunun’s claim for asylum. But at this point, she is certainly also a political prop — a living symbol of the Liberal view of Canada’s place in the world, and an always-welcome opportunity for self-congratulation. (Continued: National Post) 

 

Thursday January 10, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday January 10, 2019

It’s time to admit that travelling to China isn’t safe

If there is room to criticize the Trudeau government around its handling of Canadians being detained in China, it’s on the question of travel safety.

December 12, 2018

For reasons not entirely clear, Canada has not yet updated its travel advisory regarding travel to and in the country that is now holding at least two Canadian citizens in response to Canada’s arrest of Chinese telecom executive Meng Wanzhou last month.

That arrest took place at the request of the United States government, which has a treaty allowing extradition of people charged with breaking American laws. The U.S. government believes Wanzhou skirted sanctions against Iran in violation of the law. Based on the treaty, and the rule of law, Canada did what it had to do even though the arrest has badly strained relations.

After China illegally detained Canadian citizens, questions about travel safety naturally became more urgent. Earlier this month the U.S. advised citizens to “exercise increased caution” in China, due in part to its arbitrary detention of foreign citizens. As of Jan. 9, Canada was still recommending a high degree of caution, but only due to “isolated acts of violence, including bombings and protests.” No word about the additional threat of detention.

Former foreign affairs minister John Manley says he would not travel to China right now, and is advising business executives to do the same.

June 17, 2017

“I would not, save and except for having a diplomatic passport, go to China at this point in time. I think there’s just too much uncertainty,” Manley told CTV News.

Why hasn’t the federal government updated its travel information to reflect the obvious? China has never been entirely safe for travellers, and it is considerably less so today, based on the state’s actions. It’s understandable that Ottawa doesn’t want to further escalate tensions. But by not broadcasting up-to-date travel safety information it appears out of touch with obvious reality. And it sends the message, to some, that what China has done is not important enough to justify official, public condemnation and warning. It is, and we shouldn’t be afraid to say so, political considerations aside.

Other criticisms directed at the Trudeau government, including that he should be personally reaching out to Chinese leadership on the detainee matter, are largely partisan hot air. Opposition Conservative critics want to make it seem as if Trudeau is dragging his feet, but the evidence doesn’t support that. The government, and prime minister, have not been inactive. They have been working diplomatic channels. They have tried to ensure the detainees can access consular services. They have reached out to Canada’s allies abroad for public support and, for the most part, have been successful. (Japan is a notable exception, which is concerning.)

August 30, 2016

And Trudeau contacted U.S. President Donald Trump and secured his public and diplomatic support. Whatever we may think of the president, his country’s support is essential in matters like this.

There may be a time for Trudeau to get involved, but this isn’t it, and in fact that could further escalate the situation. He is wise to trust his administration and keep his powder dry, even if doing so draws self-serving partisan sniping. Most will see that for what it is. (Source: Hamilton Spectator Editorial)