(Photo:AP/Aflo)

 
Hong Kong’s huge pro-democracy protests that began with the demand to withdraw the extradition bill are gathering sympathy from around the world. But many countries find it difficult to step up and officially provide support. Canada is undeniably the key to changing this situation.

The News
Canada Deploys Naval Ships

In August Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called for local authorities to listen to the concerns brought forward by the people of Hong Kong. On 10th September, he deployed Canadian warships through the Taiwan Strait as a warning to China against the suppression of the Hong Kong protests.

The Chinese Embassy in Canada issued a response telling the Canadian government to stop meddling “in Hong Kong affairs and China’s internal affairs. We deplore and strongly oppose such move.”

The Details
There Are 30,000 Canadians in Hong Kong

Why is faraway Canada so concerned in Hong Kong’s affairs?

This is because back when Hong Kong was still British, many of these people obtained Canadian citizenship in the hope of attaining freedom. There are over 30,000 people living in Hong Kong who have Canadian citizenship. So for Canada, the Hong Kong situation is very much a national concern.

Many other people from Hong Kong have immigrated to other countries in the Commonwealth of Nations, such as Australia and South Africa. These countries are also expressing concerns about where the protests are headed.

If the Hong Kong government uses violence to suppress the protesters, these countries will intervene to protect their own citizens. The watching eyes of governments around the world are protecting the protesters and their freedom of speech.

The Background
Will Canada Change Their China Policy?

On the other hand, Canada is strengthening ties with China, and has been accepting large numbers of Chinese immigrants. Many Chinese Communist Party members have obtained Canadian citizenship as a means of escape if China faces a political upheaval.

Canada made a bold move in deploying warships to the Taiwan Strait, but their pro-China stance and their unwillingness to sour relations with China have caught them in a dilemma. Last December, Canadian authorities arrested the CFO of Huawei, which immediately affected Canada-China ties, and this has made Trudeau cautious.

Andrew Scheer, the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, has called for a “total reset” on Canada-China relations, and has criticized Trudeau on his naiveté on the Huawei problem.

If the Conservative Party wins the election on 21st October this year, Canada’s China policy will change, and they will assume a hardline stance against China on the Hong Kong problem. A poll in September revealed that the support rates for both parties – the Conservative Party and Trudeau’s Liberal Party – are roughly even.

What To Do
Signal to the World

There is a danger that the Hong Kong protesters will be brutally suppressed by the Hong Kong government, which is now under the Chinese Communist Party’s control. There is a need to catalyze the motion of protecting Hong Kong from the totalitarian threat known as the Communist Party.

Canada is a member of the G7, and is a country that upholds the universal values of freedom, democracy and faith. Canada has a duty to protect Hong Kong by amending their China policy, granting political asylum to people from Hong Kong, and giving them Canadian citizenship.

Canada should signal to world her intention to fight against totalitarianism alongside the U.S., Britain and Japan.