Prime Minister Mark Carney says he will privately raise Canada’s concerns about China’s interference in our democracy during his next meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, but Canadians have every right to be skeptical about what he will say.
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he → say → what
“The advantage of these meetings is you can raise issues directly and frankly,” Carney said in preparation for his latest foreign trip to Ireland, the Philippines and Cambodia, which will conclude with a face-to-face meeting with Xi on Nov. 17 during the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation Summit in China.
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which → raise → China
Carney said, “I will be raising the importance … we attach to the non-interference in our affairs by China and other countries” with Xi.
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we → say → Xi
In response, China has already denied it engages in foreign interference.
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it → deny → interference
Whatever message Carney conveys to Xi, it’s reasonable to conclude it will be far more conciliatory than what he said in April 2025, which was that he believed “the biggest security threat to Canada is China.”
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threat → convey → Canada
That’s very different from the “strategic partnership” with China that Carney announced in January after meeting with Xi in Beijing.
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Carney → ’ → Beijing
According to that agreement:
“Canada and China will … pursue pragmatic and constructive engagement in public safety and security.
uncertain
Canada → accord → safety
Our law enforcement agencies will increase co-operation to better combat narcotics trafficking, transnational and cybercrime, synthetic drugs and money laundering – and create safer communities for people in both our countries.”
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agencies → increase → countries
Exactly what this memorandum of understanding with China on increased co-operation between the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and China’s Ministry of Public Security means isn’t clear because the details are secret by mutual agreement.
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details → increase → agreement
But similar agreements in the past have led to accusations China’s secret police were allowed to operate in Canada tracking down alleged Chinese fugitives for repatriation, despite evidence these investigations included torture and coercion by Chinese authorities, as reported in a 2023 CBC/Fifth Estate documentary, “Lessons Not Learned”.
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investigations → lead → documentary
What is apparent is that Carney is now following the advice he said Xi gave to him in person at the APEC summit last year, which was, “don’t lecture me in public” and that disagreements between the two countries should be discussed in private.
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disagreements → follow → countries
For example, when Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, an expert on China, testified at a Commons committee in April that China uses its minority population of Uyghurs as forced labour to build aluminum components for its electric vehicles, Carney’s tepid response was far removed from his April 2025 statement that China was Canada’s greatest security threat.
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China → testify → statement
While he claimed Canada takes the issue of forced labour seriously and has the record to prove it, Carney repeatedly described it as a global problem, as opposed to the relevant question of whether it was a China problem, since Canada is now allowing a limited amount of Chinese EV sales in Canada in return for China lowering tariffs on Canadian canola and other products.
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China → claim → canola
Carney finally arrived at, “there are parts of China that are higher risk” requiring diligence, which wasn’t what he was asked.
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he → arrive → what
At the time, Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson basically repeated Xi’s warning to Carney, saying “We don’t need to have public discussions about where we disagree.”
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we → repeat → discussions
Liberal (formerly Conservative) MP Michael Manna initially attempted to dismiss McCuaig-Johnston’s expert testimony as “hearsay” for which he was praised in China’s state-run media.
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he → attempt → media
The reluctance of the Carney government to criticize China continues to this day, with its response to allegations in an updated report by Safeguard Defenders, a Spanish human rights non-governmental organization, that 1,247 Chinese associations in 91 countries — including 18 in Canada — are fronts for illegal domestic police stations.
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associations → criticize → stations
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree told CTV News that Canada will examine the new allegations seriously.
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Canada → tell → allegations
But he said this must be “nuanced” lest unsubstantiated allegations unfairly target Canadians of Chinese origin engaging in lawful activities.
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allegations → say → activities
It’s as if he’s never read the final report of Canada’s foreign interference inquiry issued last year — ironically the same year Carney said China posed the greatest threat to our security — which described China as “the most active perpetrator of foreign interference targeting Canada’s democratic institutions.”
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which → ’ → institutions
Commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue wrote that China, “targets members of Chinese Canadian diaspora communities for the purposes of repression, influence and forced return of targeted individuals …
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China → write → individuals
It deploys a wide range of tradecraft to carry out its activities, one of which is to use a person’s family and friends living in (China) as leverage against them.
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one → deploy → them
It’s one thing to sign new trade deals with China to help reduce our reliance on the United States.
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It → ’ → States
Its quite another for Carney and Co. to ignore the legal maxim that, when it comes to China’s widely reported human rights abuses, silence gives consent.
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silence → it → consent
The Aporia
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