Justin Trudeau is defending his decision to negotiate a controversial extradition treaty with China, arguing a deal would offer Canada higher-level relations with Beijing – part of closer ties he says have yielded advances on matters such as Canadians in distress.
The Prime Minister said the “strong, robust” relationship he’s building with the Chinese “allows us to make gains on human rights and consular files,” successes that he says eluded the former Conservative government, which often had strained relations with Beijing.
Mr. Trudeau’s defence of extradition-treaty talks comes as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang begins a four-day visit to Canada. Beijing lately has been pushing Ottawa for a treaty and the state-run China Daily in a recent article named Canada as one country that has become a popular destination for “corrupt Chinese officials” due in part to “a lack of bilateral extradition treaties.”
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Opposition critics said an extradition treaty with China would be a violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and said Chinese dissidents living in Canada will feel less secure knowing they could be subject to extradition.
“Canada is giving its seal of approval effectively to the Chinese judicial system, which would be a clear violation of our belief in the rule of law and human rights,” Conservative MP Jason Kenney said.
“China has one of the worst human-rights records in the world; the highest number of executions in the world; they imprison political prisoners and religious and other dissidents,” he said, “so the notion that Canada would co-operate with that judicial system, I find very troubling.”
Full article:
Justin Trudeau defends extradition treaty talks with China - The Globe and Mail
The Prime Minister said the “strong, robust” relationship he’s building with the Chinese “allows us to make gains on human rights and consular files,” successes that he says eluded the former Conservative government, which often had strained relations with Beijing.
Mr. Trudeau’s defence of extradition-treaty talks comes as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang begins a four-day visit to Canada. Beijing lately has been pushing Ottawa for a treaty and the state-run China Daily in a recent article named Canada as one country that has become a popular destination for “corrupt Chinese officials” due in part to “a lack of bilateral extradition treaties.”
...
Opposition critics said an extradition treaty with China would be a violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and said Chinese dissidents living in Canada will feel less secure knowing they could be subject to extradition.
“Canada is giving its seal of approval effectively to the Chinese judicial system, which would be a clear violation of our belief in the rule of law and human rights,” Conservative MP Jason Kenney said.
“China has one of the worst human-rights records in the world; the highest number of executions in the world; they imprison political prisoners and religious and other dissidents,” he said, “so the notion that Canada would co-operate with that judicial system, I find very troubling.”
Full article:
Justin Trudeau defends extradition treaty talks with China - The Globe and Mail