When it comes to trade with China, a new public opinion survey shows that two out of three Canadians are clear on one thing: human rights should be linked to free trade negotiations with Beijing. Just 21 percent said human rights should not be linked.
The Nanos Research survey also found that nine out of ten Canadians are “uncomfortable” (59 percent) or “somewhat uncomfortable” (29 percent) with allowing Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOE) to buy high-tech Canadian firms, and with ending restrictions barring these enterprises from investing in the oilsands.
The survey of 1,000 Canadians, which was conducted for The Globe and Mail, also showed that 71 percent of respondents oppose allowing Chinese SOEs to take over Canadian firms without national security tests in any future trade deal.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canada’s ambassador to China, John McCallum, are pursuing ever greater engagement with the world’s most populous nation. Trudeau has made a Canada-China free trade agreement a key priority, and to that end Ottawa is currently conducting talks with Beijing.
Regarding human rights in China, however, Chinese officials are adamantly opposed to including the issue in free trade discussions.
McCallum has said in the past that human rights will be part of any free trade agreement between the two countries, but in recent comments to the Globe he said that while trade talks can touch on environmental and labour issues, “it’s not clear to me that human rights, per se, are a part of a free trade agreement.”
