“We do have detailed plans in place and we have resources available and identified to cover a range of situations up to, and including, a situation where the urgent departure of a large number of Canadians would be necessary,” he said. “The likelihood of that kind of extreme scenario appears right now to be low, but it’s our job to plan for the most extreme situations.”
The potential need for evacuation plans was underlined by China’s decision in the summer to enact a controversial security measure. The law, which critics say has criminalised activism and dissent in Hong Kong, has stifled pro-democracy movements and had a chilling effect on media, education and politics.
