Canada, China, & Religious Freedom

 

The Catholic church on Wangfujing Street in Beijing was built by Italian missionaries in 1655. Churches are forced to display portraits of Xi Jinping alongside the cross. Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

Prime Minister Mark Carney has realized that "elbows up" in the knife fight with Donald Trump is not a good plan so he is trotting the globe on Canada's behalf in search of new markets and trade agreements. This is laudable and while the faltering US economy and business pressure may lead to the reduction of crippling tariffs that hurt Americans as much as Canadians we can't depend on the States anymore. 

I certainly feel that Carney is the best person for this demanding role and I marvel at his stamina. I also have concerns about his willingness to "let bygones be bygones" with regimes that have in the past and are still guilty of egregious human rights violations. These crimes are not gone and result in the incarceration and deaths of far too many people. 

When Carney met with China's Xi Jinping at the end of October he spoke of "sensitivities" and "irritants" between the two countries as he attempted to overcome the trade barriers and boycotts that are hurting Canadian agricultural and manufacturing exporters. This seems disingenuous to me when we know what is happening right now in the suppression of religious freedom in China. The Wall Street Journal recently published an article with the title: 

Why China Still Can’t Tolerate Christians and Other Believers: Recent arrests highlight Beijing’s deep ideological hostility to religious life, which flourishes even in the face of repression

The recent arrest of the prominent Beijing pastor Ezra Jin and several other “unregistered” church leaders reminds the world—if any reminder were needed—of China’s awful record of religious repression. Known for his efforts to maintain an independent religious community known as Zion Church, Jin joins a long list of believers harassed and detained by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The crackdown on Christians fits a broader pattern that in recent years has included the persecution of Tibetan Buddhists, Uyghur Muslims, and members of smaller groups such as Falun Gong.

Don't you wonder what the "two Michaels", Spavor and Lovrig feel about this thaw between Canada and China? They were Canadians unlawfully detained in China for years as political pawns, including months in solitary confinement 

While the Canadian government has been forced into a global mess not of its own making when it comes to trade and political relationships we need to maintain our moral and ethical bearings.