Canada-China relations face ‘worst crisis’: former ambassador By: Dylan Robertson Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Monday, Mar. 25, 2019

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This article was published 24/03/2019 (2104 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA — As China’s escalating spat with Canada ensnares canola farmers, Manitobans with ties to the country need to step up, a former ambassador told the Free Press.

Canada’s canola industry declared on Friday that China was blocking all of its seed exports, three weeks after halting Richardson International’s canola-export permit.

It was the latest in a series of measures China has taken since last December’s arrest of Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver, at the request of U.S. tax authorities.

The Free Press spoke with Guy Saint-Jacques, Canada’s ambassador to China from 2012 to 2016, about how the federal Liberals have handled the issue, what options are on the table and how Winnipeggers can get involved.

Q: How bad is this months-long spat?

This is the worst crisis in the bilateral relationship we have faced since we established diplomatic relations in 1970.

When China detained high-profile Canadians, we were able to rally support from a number of countries who issued public statements. It probably took China by surprise and made them think twice before taking further measures. But now they are increasing the pressure.

Cancelling Richardson’s export permit means 30 per cent of our canola-seed exports; that is a huge part of our trade. The growth in our exports to China over the seven years is due in large part to agriculture.

Q: Ottawa keeps demanding China’s samples of the “dangerous pests” it claims to have found in Richardson’s canola. The country has instead escalated its agriculture restrictions. What can we do?

China has not offered any evidence about those pests. Knowing how they reacted in the past, it’s probably a dubious claim.

But at the same time, we have to recognize they have legitimate concerns about avoiding contamination of their canola, by any kind of disease like blackleg that would come from Canadian shipments.

We need a common approach between the federal government, the provincial governments — especially in Western Canada — and industry, to say to demonstrate what we can do to increase the safety of our shipments, but also ask them to resume trade right away.

We’re still in talks for our canola agreement with China, which runs September 2016 until March 2020. Those negations are now more urgent because China’s jumped the gun.

Canadian farmers have to decide if they’ll sell canola elsewhere, presumably at a considerably reduced price, or switch to other crops.

Q: Does anything surprise you about this?

It seems China doesn’t care about protecting what I would call a good relationship.

We helped to create the dairy industry over there, we help to considerably improve their pork industry, to train veterinarians and food inspectors. Provinces have hosted Chinese scientists.

In my view, it’s still worth to remind the Chinese of this long-term friendship. They are doing major damage to the relationship.

Q: Does Manitoba have a role to play?

We are at the stage where we have to use all channels. Many Canadian provinces have twinnings with Chinese provinces and they go back a long time. Many former officials have connections with people in China who now occupy more important positions. Some large companies have those contacts.

We need to speaking with one voice, to remind them of all of our collaboration.

We need to use all those channels to impress on the Chinese — and hope that they will plead for us, and be the voice of reason to leadership — that they are doing lots of damage, not only with Canada but other western countries.

Q: Winnipeg has a Chinese sister city, Chengdu, but few actual ties. Is that a problem?

You have to use all available channels and goodwill.

Q: Can other countries step in?

We have to underline to the U.S. that they have put us in this mess, which could now mean Canadian farmers losing billions of dollars in sales.

Only the U.S. can confront China. That’s why we need a functioning, multilateral system, to help us to impress on China that what they are doing is not acceptable.

Canada has done a lot in trying to lower the temperature, and not put any oil on the fire. China is still concerned by its international reputation.

If we are not able to convince them, we should launch a World Trade Organization complaint. We could end up successful, but only in two or four years. The canola restrictions will have done a lot of damage and exacerbated the relationship.

Meng Wanzhou’s extradition process can take many years. Unfortunately, we are a small partner for China. They can do a lot of damage.

Our new trade agreement with the U.S. and Mexico has a clause suggesting Canada won’t sign a free-trade agreement with China in the near future. That very important point of leverage is now gone.

Q: You were appointed by then-prime minister Stephen Harper. The current Conservatives say Canada’s lack of an ambassador is worsening the situation, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ought to phone Chinese President Xi Jinping. Would either help?

It does not make a huge difference at this point.

China has refused to meet with anyone unless we come up with a guarantee Meng Wanzhou will be free and, of course, we cannot do that.

It’s always better if you have a full-fledged ambassador. But China restricts ambassadors’ access to key decision-makers.

Phoning Xi Jingping doesn’t make any sense. Chinese leaders are often not wiling to take calls unless it’s from a major country. That is the last recourse, and you must first have done a lot at the stage of diplomats and governing officials.

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.