McGuinty defends Ont. trade mission to China
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 8, 2008 | 1:13 PM ET
The Canadian Press
Premier Dalton McGuinty defended an Ontario cabinet-level trade mission to China, on Tuesday, despite international outrage over the Communist government's crackdown in Tibet.
McGuinty said he believes in Canada's long-standing policy of engaging China, and Ontario will continue to do so unless the federal government advises otherwise.
"We look to our cues from the federal government in this regard; they articulate foreign policy direction on behalf of the country," he said before a Liberal caucus meeting.
"Until such time as they tell us that it would be inappropriate, we think it's important for us to practise the style of foreign policy which Canada has adopted for several decades now, which is a policy of engagement."
But NDP critic Peter Kormos said Trade Minister Sandra Pupatello will be paraded in front of the cameras and used as "a dupe" by her Chinese hosts to try to justify human rights abuses in Tibet.
Pupatello said her primary role is economic development, and even though she believes human rights are a federal concern, she will likely raise the Tibetan issue in private talks while in China.
But Kormos said Pupatello's trip sends the message that Ontario has no interest in helping Tibetan people whose human rights are being suppressed.
Pupatello said, "We are very, very aware of world events and world political events, and that's why we take the time to speak with our federal minister, who is responsible for this."
"We all have concern for people who may be experiencing difficulty because of political behaviour. We're very concerned about that, [but] I will tell you our focus is economic development."
Trade mission kept quiet, NDP says
New Democrat Cheri DiNovo, whose Toronto riding includes one of the largest Tibetan communities in North America, accused Pupatello's office of trying to keep the China trip from becoming public, noting neither the opposition parties nor the media were told of the trade mission.
DiNovo said the Liberal government is aware of the potential for a public outcry over Pupatello's visit to China, especially when many world leaders are debating whether to attend the opening of the Summer Olympics in China because of the situation in Tibet.
"It couldn't be worse [timing], it absolutely could not be worse," said DiNovo.
"We know why they tried to keep it secret, because they know how horrible it looks. And it doesn't only look horrible, it is horrible."
Inside the legislature, DiNovo went on the attack against Premier Dalton McGuinty for allowing the trade mission to China to proceed.
"Premier, why are you sending your trade minister on a mission to China while relatives of Tibetan-Ontarians are being murdered by that Chinese government? Why do you continue to run roughshod over human rights," she yelled.
Tories concerned over job losses
Opposition leader Bob Runciman also said McGuinty should call off Pupatello's trip, but appeared more concerned with job losses in Ontario than Tibet and the human rights issue.
"We're losing jobs hand over fist in this province — 25,000 manufacturing jobs just last month — and she's traipsing off to China for who knows what purpose other than get the hell out of here and not be able to put up with the heat in the kitchen," said Runciman.
"I think it's disgraceful and the premier shouldn't allow her to go."
But Pupatello insisted her trade mission was important for the province's economy and would help businesses in Ontario find new opportunities to expand in China.
"I think it's really important that Canada engage in the world and one of the good ways we have to do that is through business and economic ties," she said.
"I think we've been influential when we engage in countries like [China], that's my personal view and that's the view that I will bring as economic development minister. It's important that we engage with 1.3 billion people."
Pupatello said there are businesses in Ontario who want to do business in China and need the province's help because most of the Chinese companies are state-run enterprises, not private firms.
