In conversations with friends in Chilliwack, the subject of Canada’s relations with China invariably comes up. The mess caused by the American insistence that Canada’s border patrol interdict Meng Wanzhou of Huawei and notwithstanding the fact that Canada has a treaty with our neighbour to the south, we are where we are, until the grinding of our legal system leads to a decision. In the meantime, there are two innocent men incarcerated in small, permanently lit cells in China, a direct result of the arrest of Meng. In terms of human rights the Chinese system is completely abhorrent to most Canadians. Time and again we see kangaroo courts doing the bidding of the Communist Party and the stripping away of basic rights of a defence in court represented by council, verdicts pronounced on trumped up charges and long sentences in brutal conditions. We see the many reports of pograms against China’s own citizens which of course are denied by Chinese authorities. My companions are appalled when they see Meng dressed to the nines arriving from her palatial digs to attend her court proceedings. The question is, what can individual Canadians do? We must let our civilized system work. We are dealing with barbarians.To do otherwise would place us in the same position as the Chinese government. Frustration leads to anger and solutions bred in that state are counterproductive.
The old adage, “follow the money” works no matter what type of regime exists. Every Canadian can have a quiet solution that the Chinese will come to recognize without causing a furor and it is a simple one. Each time a buying decision needs to be made every one of us should look for an alternative to the piece of goods with the Product of China on the label.
This is the quiet, very Canadian way to send a message. Now there will be businesses who will see sales of Chinese goods shrink, but as Canadians, I’m sure these businesses will find and purvey alternatives as Chinese stuff languishes on the shelves. This could be the start of a quiet revolution that may lead to a new sustainable Canadian economy that Canadians could care about. It is clear that China couldn’t care less about us.
Wayne Underhill
Chilliwack
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