A Trudeau-appointed senator known for repeating communist China’s talking points recently said during a Carleton University lecture that Canada shouldn’t be involved in defence exercises along the Taiwan Strait and should forge further ties with countries like China.
During the Vickers-Verduyn Lecture in Canadian Studies earlier this month, Sen. Yuen Pau Woo elaborated on his views on China.
This statement comes in the wake of the Canadian Navy’s joint transit with the American Navy last year, an action that attracted close scrutiny from Chinese military forces.
“We are, as you know, in a geopolitical conflict primarily between the U.S. and China. There are certain actions the U.S. is taking with respect to China that make sense and that we might well want to follow,” said Woo.
“However, there are other actions that do not align with our national interest. If we start considering our national interests, for instance, I’m not sure we should be sailing through the Taiwan Strait. I don’t think that’s necessarily in our national interests.”
The senator’s comments echo China’s official line – that Canada has no business in the Taiwan Strait.
Woo also expressed dislike for trade prohibitions as well as bans on research collaborations between Canadian universities and Chinese institutions. This is despite the Chinese Communist Party employing various intelligence-gathering schemes like the Thousand Talents Program to attract research from abroad so that it can advance its own technological and military interests over its Western competitors.
“Also, I’m uncertain about piggybacking on certain types of trade actions or prohibiting, as you mentioned, research collaborations with leading-edge universities and companies in countries that the United States deems taboo,” said Woo.
“So, we have decisions to make, and they should be driven by our national interest rather than what our neighbour dictates.”
In response to Woo’s comments, Jonathan B. Miller, the foreign policy director of the Macdonald Laurier Institute, stressed the significance of supporting Taiwan for regional security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Miller argued that Canada’s involvement in Strait transits with the U.S. aligns with its strategic interests and promotes peace in the region.
“Stability in the Taiwan Strait is crucial for regional security and is an international public good. This is not something that just impacts the U.S.-China rivalry, but its implications – both in security and economic terms – are massive for the world,” Miller told True North.
“By supporting Taiwan on a range of issues, Canada can help maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, which is in its strategic interest. This is precisely why Canada is pursuing Strait transits with the US. These should continue and be expanded to other international countries like France, Australia and Japan.”
This isn’t the first time Woo has echoed Chinese talking points. In Oct. 2021, he attended a ceremony in Vancouver commemorating 72 years of Chinese communist rule, where he appeared alongside Chinese deputy consul general Wang Chengjung.
Furthermore, Woo has faced criticism for his defence of the Chinese government’s actions, including his reluctance to label the treatment of Uyghur minorities in Xinjiang as genocide.
