441-00874 (Foreign affairs)

The promotion and protection of human rights is an integral part of Canadian foreign policy and is a priority in the Government of Canada’s engagement with China. The nature and scale of the human rights violations by Chinese authorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), under the pretext of countering extremism, are deeply disturbing. Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities face torture or cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, obligatory patriotic and cultural education, as well as forced labour.

Reports detail closures and destruction of Uyghur religious sites, including mosques and shrines important to that community’s religious, ethnic, and cultural identity. There are also reports of mass arbitrary forced separation of children from their parents by authorities. There are credible reports of forced sterilization, systematic rape and gender-based sexual violence. Throughout the region, Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities also face repressive physical and digital surveillance, which includes severe restrictions on movement, the forced collection of biometric data, and coercive police surveillance. The actions by the Chinese government are in violation of international human rights obligations and are inconsistent with the United Nations’ Global Counter Terrorism Strategy.

Over the last several years, Canada has been consistent in speaking out against human rights violations against Uyghurs and Muslim minorities.

On September 1, 2022, the Minister of Foreign Affairs released a statement following the publication of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Assessment on Xinjiang (XUAR) on August 31, 2022, urging the People’s Republic of China to uphold its international human rights obligations and to respond to the concerns and the recommendations raised in the OHCHR Assessment.

The findings reflect the credible accounts of grave human rights violations taking place in Xinjiang. This report makes an important contribution to the mounting evidence of serious, systemic human rights abuses and violations occurring in Xinjiang. It finds that the arbitrary and discriminatory detention of Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity.

On July 8, 2022, the Minister of Foreign Affairs had a bilateral meeting with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, China’s State Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs at the time, on the margins of the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting. The Minister of Foreign Affairs once again reiterated Canada’s concerns with human rights in China.

On April 5, 2022, the Minister of Foreign Affairs spoke with Mr. Wang. The Minister of Foreign Affairs made clear that Canada will continue to defend and promote the values it has always stood up for, including, human rights and the rule of law. The Minister also reiterated Canada’s concerns with ongoing human rights violations in China, including in Xinjiang.

At the UN General Assembly Third Committee (October 31, 2022), Canada delivered, on behalf of 50 countries, a joint statement on the human rights situation in Xinjiang underscoring the findings of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Assessment of human rights concerns in the XUAR, People’s Republic of China, and the need for accountability.

In June 2022, Canada joined the Netherlands-led joint statement on the human rights situation in China delivered on behalf of 47 countries in the context of 50th session of the HRC.

At the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee (October 21, 2021), Canada co-signed a joint statement on the human rights situation Xinjiang, along with 43 other countries. In June 2021, during the 47th session of the HRC, Canada delivered a joint statement, co-signed with 42 other countries on the human rights situation in Xinjiang. As part of joint communications, Canada and other countries called on China to allow unfettered access to Xinjiang to the UN and the Office of the High Commission for Human Rights (eventually granted in May 2022).

At the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee (October 6, 2020), Canada co-signed, along with 38 other countries, a joint statement on the human rights situation in Xinjiang and Hong Kong. In June 2020, during the 44th session of the HRC, Canada and 27 other countries signed a joint statement on the human rights situations in Hong Kong and Xinjiang. Canada also co-sponsored side events addressing human rights in Xinjiang on the margins of the UN General Assembly 74th session in New York (September 2019) and on the margins of the HRC’s 40th session in Geneva (March 2019).

Canada has made several statements on the human rights situation in China at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva, including specific statements regarding Uyghurs in the XUAR (March 2018, September 2018, March 2019; September 2020; February 2021). Canada also made public recommendations to China on human rights as part of China’s Universal Periodic Review at the HRC in November 2018. Canada called on China to release Uyghurs and other Muslims who have been detained arbitrarily and without due process because of their ethnicity or religions, and to end the prosecution and persecution on the basis of religion or belief, including for Muslims, Christians, Tibetan Buddhists and Falun Gong.

On March 22, 2021, Canada announced sanctions against 4 officials and 1 entity under the Special Economic Measures Regulations, based on their participation in gross and systematic human rights violations in the XUAR. The Regulations impose a dealings ban on listed persons, which prohibits any person in Canada and any Canadian outside Canada from undertaking a broad range of financial and business transactions with any of the listed individuals or entities. The individuals listed in the schedule to the regulations are also rendered inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. These measures were taken in coordination with the United States and the United Kingdom, and in solidarity with the European Union. These sanctions underscore Canada’s grave concerns with the ongoing human rights violations occurring in the XUAR, affecting Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities.

On January 12, 2021, the Government of Canada announced that it is adopting a comprehensive approach to addressing human rights abuses in the XUAR. This included measures to address forced labour, via the prohibition of imports into Canada of goods made in whole or part with forced labour and a business integrity declaration for Canadian exporters. Global Affairs Canada will continue to work closely with Canadian firms doing business in or with China to help them understand and mitigate the risks of doing business with entities possibly implicated in forced labour.

The Trade Commissioner Service has updated its guidance for businesses on the risks of doing business in China, including risks related to human rights abuses. Ensuring companies adhere to responsible business practices is essential to manage social, reputational, legal and economic risks. The Government of Canada expects Canadian companies active abroad, in any market or country, to respect human rights, operate lawfully and conduct their activities in a responsible manner consistent with international standards such as the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights, and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. Among other things, the Government of Canada expects Canadian companies to adopt global best practices with respect to supply chain due diligence in order to eliminate the direct or indirect risk of involvement in any forced labour or other human rights abuses.

Canada will continue to call on the People’s Republic of China to fulfill its international human rights obligations and to allow for meaningful, unfettered access to the XUAR so that impartial experts can observe and report on the situation first-hand. Canada will work collaboratively with partners to address the human rights situation in Xinjiang. Canada has the responsibility to work with others in the international community to ensure that allegations of genocide and crimes against humanity are investigated by an independent international body of legal experts.

The promotion and protection of human rights are core priorities of Canada’s foreign policy. The Government of Canada will continue to raise its concerns regarding the human rights situation in Xinjiang and all of China, and will continue to call on China to live up to its international obligations.

The Government’s newly released Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS) also directly outlines Canada’s approach to China. China’s rise as a global actor is reshaping the strategic outlook of every state in the region, including Canada. The third pillar of the IPS specifically invests in people, development, and the defense of human rights in the Indo Pacific region. Canada will never apologize for pursuing its national interests, which includes upholding global rules that govern human rights.