OTTAWA: Canada has announced that it was imposing new sanctions against 4 officials and 1 entity under the Special Economic Measures (People’s Republic of China) Regulations, based on their participation in gross and systematic human rights violations in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).
These measures are being taken in coordination with the United States and the United Kingdom, and in solidarity with the European Union.
These sanctions underscore Canada’s grave concerns with the ongoing human rights violations occurring in the XUAR, affecting Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities.
Mounting evidence points to systemic, state-led human rights violations by Chinese authorities.
This includes the mass arbitrary detention of more than 1 million Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities on the basis of their religion and ethnicity, as well as political re-education, forced labour, torture and forced sterilization.
Canada has raised the issue with Chinese authorities, and consistently voiced its deep concern over the repression of minorities in international forums in cooperation with partners, including at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Canada will continue to call on the People’s Republic of China to adhere to basic human rights and allow for meaningful, unfettered access to the XUAR so that impartial experts can observe and report on the situation first-hand.
In the meantime, Canada will work collaboratively with partners to address the dire human rights situation in Xinjiang, including by ensuring consequences for this repression, with a view to ending it.
We have the responsibility to work with others in the international community to ensure that any such allegations are investigated by an independent international body of legal experts.
Marc Garneau, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said: “We remain deeply concerned by the egregious human rights violations that are taking place in Xinjiang at the hands of the Chinese state. We are joining our partners in calling on the Government of China to put an end to this systematic campaign of repression against Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities and to hold those responsible to account.”
On January 12, in coordination with the United Kingdom, Canada announced that it was adopting a comprehensive approach to defending the rights of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in the XUAR, including measures to address forced labour.
In late February, Canada’s House of Commons had voted overwhelmingly to declare China’s treatment of its Uighur minority population a genocide.
The motion – which passed 266 to 0 – was supported by all opposition parties and a handful of lawmakers from the Liberal Party. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and most cabinets membersabstained.
The motion made Canada just the second country after the United States to recognise China’s actions as genocide. Lawmakers also voted to pass an amendment asking Canada to call on the International Olympic Committee to move the 2022 Winter Olympics from Beijing “if the Chinese government continues this genocide”.
Meanwhile, François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, made the following statement regarding updates to the 2016 Guidelines on the National Security Review of Investments, issued under the Investment Canada Act (ICA):
“As we work with businesses to help them recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian companies may look to global capital to help support their growth.
Foreign direct investment allows many of Canada’s cutting-edge, intellectual property–intensive firms to scale up and reach global customers.
At the same time, as a government, we have a responsibility to ensure such investment does not bring with it national security threats, as some of these Canadian companies possess sensitive personal data or develop and manufacture sensitive technologies that form part of critical supply chains.
“The updated guidelines identify areas that could present national security concerns in foreign investment. These include sensitive personal data, certain sensitive technology areas, critical minerals, and investments by state-owned or state-influenced investors. The renewed guidelines will provide additional transparency and clarity for Canadian businesses and foreign investors.
“This announcement follows the April 2020 Policy Statement on Foreign Investment Review and COVID-19, which specified that investments in critical goods and services, particularly in the health sector, would be subject to enhanced scrutiny under the ICA. The April 2020 statement will remain in place until the economy recovers. Our government will continue to take action where necessary to protect national security while remaining open to investment that benefits Canada