Tory MP Questions New Police Cooperation Agreement With China Despite Beijing’s Hostile Actions
Udumbara
.
Conservative MP and democratic reform critic Michael Cooper is raising concerns about Ottawa’s new agreement with Beijing on cooperation between law enforcement agencies, saying China poses a security threat to Canada.
“I’m not here as a foreign policy expert, nor an expert on China,” Anandasangaree responded.
Cooper said that Beijing “is not a rule of law state. They don’t have an independent judiciary, they don’t have civilian oversight of law enforcement, they don’t respect human rights, they’re actively perpetrating genocide, among other crimes against humanity.”
He added that the fact that Anandasangaree wouldn’t answer no to his questions shows that the government is “prepared to downplay and whitewash the serious interference of human rights abuses, among other outrageous conduct by a brutal dictatorship, all in the name of this new strategic partnership with that brutal dictatorship.”
Cooper also asked the minister why Ottawa has agreed to pursue cooperation on law enforcement with Beijing, given the Chinese regime has engaged in transnational repression targeting Chinese diaspora communities in Canada, has “shown no respect for Canada’s sovereignty,” and has threatened the safety and security of Canadians.
During Carney’s trip to China last month, Ottawa and Beijing signed several agreements, including a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to pursue “pragmatic and constructive engagement” in public safety and security through cooperation of law enforcement agencies.
Anandasangaree said Ottawa has agreed to cooperate with Beijing out of a need to diversify its trade relationships away from the United States, and that law enforcement agencies in the two countries would cooperate on issues such as curtailing fentanyl and its precursors coming into Canada.
Public Safety Canada has directed questions about the MOU to the RCMP.
A spokesperson for the RCMP told The Epoch Times that the MOU is not a public document, adding that the RCMP is “committed to working in partnership with both domestic and foreign agencies to keep Canadians safe and secure and to protect Canadian interests at home and abroad.”
“This MOU demonstrates a renewed commitment to cooperation between our two agencies to address a number of shared concerns, notably criminal activities in the fentanyl trade,” the spokesperson said.
The federal police force added that the MOU supports the federal government’s “priority to work strategically with China and other partners in the Indo-Pacific.”
.
