China is Canada’s second-largest trading partner: a very, very distant second — our exports to the U.S. are 16 times higher. China should be less important still, behind Japan, Taiwan, India, European countries such as the U.K., France, and Germany and other democracies that respect the rule of law. If that wasn’t clear to us before, it should be chillingly clear now following China’s taking of Canadian hostages in an effort to make us kowtow to its demands.
As long as China’s communists are in power, Canadians will be subject to hostage-taking and unable to safely do business, except through intermediaries. Aside from the 13 Canadians arrested in China (most now released) since the Meng Wanzhou affair broke, China has detained some 200 Canadians, often related to commercial disputes with Chinese companies. When Canadians seek justice in Chinese courts, Lady Justice is absent. An aroused Canada should cut its losses.
