"The Liberal Party is supposed to be the party of human rights"

Thanks for the link. It's good to be reminded, having read through the comments, just how puerile the adherents of the major Liberal leadership candidates really are.

Thanks for the link. It's good to be reminded, having read through the comments, just how puerile the adherents of the major Liberal leadership candidates really are.

I'm surprised you didn't commend him for taking an honest look at the leadership candidate Ignatieff and making a forthright criticism.

Too much typing.

Adrian,

Why congratulate him for doing the base minimum.

Amazing. Liberals can sometimes bring themselves to do it, but not our beloved MSM !!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-child_policy

Hey, Kate, how do the Liberals feel about China's preference for boys over girls? Ya know, the forced abortions, forced sterilizations of women (open your legs and put them in the stirrups babe, this won't take but a minute) etc, etc.

Does Belinda Stronach have a position paper on that? Does she find it insulting? Does she think that aborted Chinese girls have a limited future in the Chinese Communist Party?

C'mon kiddies, chill. Iggy is just trying to protect his uncle Moe's interests in Commieland. Say. Isn't old Moe still holed up there, dodging responsibility like the good leftie he is??

Strange how Liberals feel so free to criticize anything American right in our Parliament but seem to turn the other cheek to any human rights violation committed by China.
Hypocrites is too good a word to describe them

I'm a "leftist" by slander, and so I wear the badge proudly. You will not find many more vigilant bloggers on China than I.

Mr.Benyk, it seems you have just been proven wrong.

You can seek my site for the following titles on China:

Speaking Of The Chinese
Europe Fights Back Against Chinese Imports
Controversy Over Dalai Lama In Vancouver
Canada Panders To Chinese Interests

Strange how Liberals feel so free to criticize anything American right in our Parliament but seem to turn the other cheek to any human rights violation committed by China.
Hypocrites is too good a word to describe them

The link provided by Kate was to a Liberal blog - namely mine. Kind of throws a wrench into your generalization doesn't it?

Let me get this straight...Liberals believe that undiplomatic, opportunistic, self aggrandizing anti-Americanism is appropriate but standing up to feudalistic Chinese human rights abusers is worthy of scorn.
That makes sense.
Maybe Michael Savage is correct when he says "Liberalism is a mental illness"

The Chinese eventually met with Harper, didn't they? So says the Hamilton Spectator:
http://www.hamiltonspectator.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=hamilton/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1163717413362&call_pageid=1020420665036&col=1112101662670

I believe this is about the first recorded instance of the Chinese losing face and backing down to a Canadian leader. Considering our country is 40 times smaller than China in terms of population and the numbers of our military troops, the bottom line is that Harper has pulled off an incredible diplomatic coup. I think Alberta's oil is a more powerful bargaining chip in pushing our influence and interests for human rights in China than I had ever anticipated.

All I can say is that Harper HAS a couple of very big ones between his legs. A world leader in charge of a country restored to world-class status.

Let me get this straight...Liberals believe that undiplomatic, opportunistic, self aggrandizing anti-Americanism is appropriate but standing up to feudalistic Chinese human rights abusers is worthy of scorn.

It boggles my mind that you can make that generalization, when Kate's post links to a Liberal that obviously feels the opposite.

i see a day in the not so distant future where our political system(federal) will be dominated by 2 parties, left and right....i know too many centrist libs who just cannot stomach the pro tinpot dictator/moonbat/hezbo/anti-semetic crap coming from the left... and with cooling happening in parts of the arctic/greenland/antarctica.....they r starting to re-think that as well...interesting times ahead.....GO ARMY

Rob

One Liberal tuna in a sea of millions.....

the Igster lived so long under the bastion of freedom and human rights - the USA- that he doesnt really know the difference anymore , like Joe Average Canajun going to Cuba and thinking everything looks great in the resort. The Igster is pretty much stuck on visions of the tourists on the Great Wall provided by the MSM.

LOTS of Liberals supported Harper's insistence of raising human rights with the Chinese. If you had visited Liblogs on the day the initial news broke you would have seen that most thought that it was important that our government take a stand against human rights abuses.

Neo-communist liberals and socialists LOVE to trample the rights of others as long as it advances their 'progressive' social engineering. They are the most intolerant and narrow-minded bunch around. Any disagreement with them is met with venom and anger - you cannot intelligently and calmly debate them. If your rights are in their way? Bye bye. YOUR rights aren't necessary, only THEIRS are.

The liberals are two faced on this. They can't condemn the Bush Admin; be silent on things like Hezbollah, Iran, Ignatieff who called the actions of Israel an act of terrorism then criticize Harper for his stand on China's human rights record. PMSH has a right to question that
and take a stand against it.

Really agree with you Tom, your comment concisely sums up the "progressive", blind adherence to a narrow ideology of the left. Reminds me specifically of a few lefties that constantly show up on various talk shows and panel discussions on Canadian media, and only seldom do they show any respect for a conservative point of view. They are right, and any conservative point of view is wrong. Their views of course cannot be challenged, to challenge them is "UnCanadian". God I'm sick of hearing that!

China arguably has more human rights than Canada.

Our Canadian "human" "rights" "courts" restrict rights more than they protect them. Our taxes are higher, our incarceration rate is higher, our libel laws make a mockery of free speech, we are more politically correct than they are. In China you can say "f*ck Islam" and "f*ck gay marriage" and not worry about getting suspended from your university teaching job.

It's just heartwarming how Communist China's presumably most obscene and heartless death-row criminals become so incredibly humanitarian as to agree to donate their organs on their death beds to a Capitalist they've never even met. It's even more of a Communist medical and judicial miracle for their death-row inmates to have the decency to be executed within days of a call for a DNA match organ from the west. Beyond that, even more of a miracle that there are no Chinese recipients under their "social health care system" who could use such organ. Thank God for miracles and the specially designed vans to HARVEST THE ORGANS provided by the great and awesome humanitarian Chinese government.

Constantly amazed that the ever so compassionate International Socialist Left embraces a totalitarian China that applies Capital Punishment via arbitrary courts, while miraculously finding DNA donor matches from their 5,000 or so death row inmates within days of their highly convenient executions in specially designed mobile vans to the benefit of high-paying western recipients. WOW. If only the west could replicate such humanitarian efficiency. But, how how how, could we possibly manage such a thing?

Conservative Prime Minister Harper goes to bat for a Canadian who holds dual citizenship: China-Canada,

who is held in a Chinese jail.

Liberal wannabe leader/wannabe Prime Minister Stephane Dion holds dual citizenship: France-Canada. Has Dion spoken up/supported Prime Minister Harper? Has Bob Rae, Uncle Mao Strong's nephew, said what his policy is?

All is silent on the left; the Liberal Party is anti-democratic. Not to wonder: the left's policy advisor on this is Mao Kyoto Strong.

More:

Where is the support from Aly Hindy, Canadian Muslim Imam? From Willy Graham, interim Liberal leader? From Taliban Jack Layton/NDP?

Where is the support of the UN Human Rights Chairman Canadian Louise Arbour?

Canoenews report:

The email to Canadian reporters said Harper discussed the case of Huseyin Celil, a Chinese-Canadian jailed in China on terrorism charges.

China does not recognize his Canadian citizenship.

A Chinese official denied that human rights was addressed at the meeting but acknowledged that the Celil matter was briefly touched upon. ...-

Dr. Jean Philippe
Béja, an expert from the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (IEP), the University of Paris indicated that one of
the best working policies on China

is to create public awareness.

Dr. Béja said that CCP [Chinese Communist Party] members do not like

being put in difficult position

in front of the world

as in the case of Tiananmen Square

where Chinese officials were

badly criticized by world leaders

for mishandling the student demonstration held

for democracy in China. ...-

June 29, 2006,
We are informed of Jason Kenney's ambition to meet with leading Uyghur community leaders. As the team, we
strongly support this idea. Our correspondents said that Jason Kenney arranged a meeting with the president of
Uyghur American Association to discuss the options about Huseyin Celil. We would like to see more from our
government. We have not confirmed the details about the meeting with the Association yet. ...-

3w.huseyincelil.com/index.html

Pictures of Chinese Torture here:

3w.huseyincelil.com/chinese_torture.html

Example of hypocrisy at it's best... or worst, depending on your perspective...

MSM's message Nov 2006: Harper's public criticism of China on human rights and standing up, as he puts it, for our beliefs, our values and our princples, could have serious and quite negative repurcussions to our trade relations and economy; the Liberals' even-handed, diplomatic, raise-our-concerns-behind-closed-doors apparoach is the responsible course of action.

MSM's message, election 2006: The Liberals' fist-pumping, in your face, let's insult the Americans during the election on softwood lumber demonstrates that they are proud in standing up for Canada, for our beliefs, our values and our principles; Harper's so-called even-handed, diplomatic, raise-our-concerns-behind-closed-doors approach further illustrates that he's trying to curry favour by cozying up with the Bush administration.

The thing is, bob, you can't say 'f*ck our Communist leader' in the Chinese workplace and get way with it.

By the way, I think you should be clear on the definition of 'human rights'. It doesn't mean the freedom to do anything and everything. The human rights are few and best exemplified in the US Declaration - 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness'. Not achievement of happiness, only the freedom to pursue it.

Taxation has nothing to do with human rights. Costs of living in China are just as bad, if not worse, than here.

Libel has nothing to do with free speech. If I publish a newspaper column about you, bob, asserting that you are guilty of the most heinous actions against three-year olds (and it's a false accusation), then, you are protected by libel laws.

Free speech is not a human right but a social right. The fact that in both China and Canada, this free speech is inhibited, is a social malaise, not a violation of a basic human right.

Yet libs deem marriage, as it relates to who should and shouldn't be allowed to marry, as an issue of human rights, and not one of social values that reflect this country's traditions.

I guess it depends on the agenda.

I'm not clear on why the Chinese incarcerated the Canadian Chinese/Muslim. Is there a legitimate reason?

scott - I think that there should be a distinction between basic or universal human rights and 'social values'. Social values, which can change and which are contextually linked to a socioeconomic mode, are not the same as 'rights'. I think that's an error to merge a 'right' with a 'value'.

So, if some people 'value' SSM, that doesn't make it a 'human right'. It's a social value and as such, open to dissent and critique and change and other values. Some people may not value SSM.

I wonder how long before Rob is looking for a job?

Liberals use human rights as a means to an end - control of people - Liberals do not consider rights as an end in themselves - human dignity.

That's why they have trouble understanding the Conservatives and foreign policy. Liberals don't care about some Chinese people that live thousands of miles away because they don't appreciate the fact that not respecting anyone's human dignity, lowers the respect for everyone's human dignity.

Evidence of the Liberal's belief that human rights are a means to an end and not an end in themselves can be found in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Liberals ensured that legal discrimination for and against entire groups of people was included in Section 15 so that they could forever play politics with their Canadian subjects instead of respecting the dignity of individual Canadian persons.

Aahh yes the liberals who care so much for human rights they want to disarm people and allow crinimals to rape women molest kids and loot your home after a disaster isnt that just like liberal idiots?

Glad to hear that Kyle...makes me wonder about Libs and the Iggy relationship. Did Iggy learn anything at Harvard? How do card carrying Libs feel about the Igster being dumped in for the January election, by the higher ups? Generalizations aside, ...how much of the Lib agenda ,especially from Iggy's out of touch statements(several now) assumes that a great number of Canadians don't know what is going on in China, or Quebec...and they will fall for his and the Libs will play the game to the hilt with the media's help?...and as mentioned how long 'til Rob is out of a job...or maybe we assume too much as well...

"Our Canadian "human" "rights" "courts" restrict rights more than they protect them. Our taxes are higher, our incarceration rate is higher, our libel laws make a mockery of free speech, we are more politically correct than they are. In China you can say "f*ck Islam" and "f*ck gay marriage" and not worry about getting suspended from your university teaching job."

Bob, are you for real? You're upset because you're such a racist and a bigot that you're not allowed to say racist and bigoted things in complete freedom?

And then you reward China for being able to say these things, but woe be to you if you say anything against the government.

That's just about the most confused and warped worldview I've seen in my lifetime.

"Aahh yes the liberals who care so much for human rights they want to disarm people and allow crinimals to rape women molest kids and loot your home after a disaster isnt that just like liberal idiots?"

Yes, you hit the nail on the head. Liberals want criminals to rape and molest. You've cracked the case. Report to your nearest Conservative M.P. to collect your reward.

Rob...Your mind is baffled at me??? for pointing out the obvious way in which the Liberals have historically pointed fingers at conservatives for being anti-human rights? One disillusioned Liberal does not negate the grandstanding and policy platforms that have tainted the Liberal party for far too long.

Bob's one of yours, MacNair.

Ace said:

"I think Alberta's oil is a more powerful bargaining chip in pushing our influence and interests for human rights in China than I had ever anticipated."

Given that some $5.3 billion per year in going into the oilsands production according to Suncor, Prime Minister Harper is leveraging the incredible oil wealth of Canada to China's growing insatiable demand. You don't have to be a Saudi to understand the greater energy demand game. Leveraging oil demand to human rights is an astute play by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

You don't need to have a huge domestic population or a gargantuan military to be a player. You just have to be on top of something that the rest of the world wants but the price is "business plus human rights development".

Hardly an unreasonable combination, Khartoum, Sudan could take notes on the Darfur region; instead of continuing to blow away Christians by the score.

If you had visited Liblogs on the day the initial news broke you would have seen that most thought that it was important that our government take a stand against human rights abuses.

Well that's interesting, Kyle, considering the blog link above that you commented on had half of your liberal friends taking a stand against Harper's raising human rights issues in China. Hardly a majority.

I doubt very much that Liberals give a damn about human rights when they act as the principle agent of suppressing free speech here and in Europe with their pc, multi-culti enforcements. Anyone disagreeing with the left's dogma is a racist or bigot. It's the libs most devisive ploy in stopping debate. Ever notice that pattern on campus or in the MSM?

All of those liberal feminists, just where have they been in screaming stop at the Muslim treatment of women in the ME? Any memorable public outcries from them that you can recount for us?

Demonstrate how China's enforced one child abortion policy galvanized the forces of the the liberal feminists? Any memorable outcries from them on that one?

Liberal's concern for human rights is disingenuously selective. It always has been.

There's only one conclusion to come to, the Liberals must have a secret oath, the Oath of Hypocrisy, it gets them into the Kingdom of Snake oil Salespersons, from whence they proceed to spew their venom and lies with help from their friends in the various media.
Hold onto your hats for very interesting times!

The Liberals care less about human rights for any nation's peoples, including Canada's, than they do about their own "entitlements", to which they think they're "entitled"!

I guess they think they're "entitled" to have their cronies in the manufacturing industry make crap in China using slave labor and dumping the cheap "goods" on the Canadian market, driving Canadian manufacturers out of business and Canadian workers out of their livelihoods. We are just now seeing the results of the trade deficit with Red China in the troubles the manufacturers of Ontario are experiencing.

Is it really such a great idea to do business with China, given the problems it's creating for Canada, particularly since the Chinese have no human rights whatsoever, and are pretty much unaware of any such concept, as if's taboo in China?

Clearly, the whole "engagement" thing, which was supposed to help human rights come to China, hasn't worked.

Hopefully, the rest of the Free World will follow Canada under Harper and stand up to Red China, telling them that if they want to do business with us, they'd better clean up their act!

Fail to see the connection between trading with China for their traditionally crappy, cheap products and how they will change their ways on the human rights issue. There's not a hint of change, they're still under the iron fist of Communism.
If the people of China got a taste of Democracy all hell would break loose and there would be a revolution.
Trade won't bring down the Chairman, it'll keep him in place. Harper is right, tell them and tell them often and publicly.You can't preach against Human Rights abuses and condone them at the same time by ignoring them.

It seems to be a Liberal strategy to pander. Much like we pander to the Province of Quebec to keep them in Canada. It serves to make them demand more without changing their ideas one iota.
The beat goes on.

Galloway, the Howard Dean of Britain, piles on with his snake oil. The fear is palpable in the left-liberal socialist underground; fear of Truth; fear of the Good; fear of Justice.

Moonbat Galloway's rant is the evidence that Prime Minister Harper's voice/message has been heard/noticed in the deep underground of the left-liberal socialists.

The serpentine, venomous, traitorous tongue of Galloway gives overwhelming credence/validity to the message brought to the world by Conservative Prime Minister Harper of Canada. ...-

BRITISH MP SLAMS HARPER, IGNATIEFF
Prime Minister Stephen Harper's foreign policy strategy is a joke and is causing Canada to be hated around the world, British politician George Galloway said Monday. (national newswatch)

PM TEST DRIVES GLOBAL VOICE
Prime Minister Stephen Harper left Vietnam claiming Canada's voice at an international summit here was heard on trade, on security and on human rights. (national newswatch)

for those who want to guage or check the credibility of Galloway I suggest they read the following article.

fighting words: A wartime lexicon.
George Galloway Is Gruesome, Not Gorgeous
Now, watch me debate him.
By Christopher Hitchens

http://www.slate.com/id/2126121/

"Power Corporation, through its Hong Kong Subsidiary Power Pacific Corporation, has a growing portfolio of investments in China and Hong Kong, including a joint venture with Bombardier and China's Sifang Locomotive and Rolling Stock Works in Quingdao. Power Pacific has also joined CITIC and Shanghai Hi-Tech Park development Corporation to create CITIC-Power Zhangjiang Co. Ltd.

The Communists appointed Andre Desmarais, in 1999, as a director of CITIC Pacific, a subsidiary of CITIC. Mr Desmarais, upon becoming a director, was permitted to acquire 4.2 percent of CITIC Pacific--a rare privilege given the Communist Party's history of reserving company ownership for the children of its ruling elite. With the appointment to CITIC Pacific's board, Jean Chretien's son-in-law became associated with people and companies who have a history of abetting China's arms dealing and intelligence" activities.

Prime Time Crime

Ezra Levant has a great colummn:

PM Stephen Harper has got the jam!

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Columnists/Levant_Ezra/2006/11/20/2430063.html

Under almost 13 years of Liberal rule, Canada's China policy had become increasingly obsequious.

Human rights violations in China were winked at. China's bad behaviour internationally was ignored and even the revelation by CSIS of 1,000 Chinese spies in Canada was swept under the rug.

If the idea was that being China's moral apologist would help Canadian businessmen sell to China, that idea failed.

China-Canada trade has increased during the past decade, but it has been China selling their goods to us, not the other way around. Canada buys about triple from China what they buy from us. And what China covets most is our energy and other natural resources -- global commodities Canada would sell on the world market.

Silence about Chinese fascism has not made Canada rich from China -- though both Paul Martin's sons' business, Canada Steamship Lines, and Jean Chretien's son-in-law's business, Power Corp., have thrived there.

Fortunately for Canada's foreign policy, Stephen Harper has no personal stake in appeasing China's ruling party. And so, on a flight to an Asian conference last week, Harper said what every Canadian politician knows but few have the courage to say: It is in Canada's interests to trade with China, but not in keeping with our values to turn a blind eye to their violations of human rights.

Harper calls his policy "constructive engagement" -- that we will continue to deal with China, but we'll never be shy about speaking honestly about that country's lack of freedoms, especially freedom of the press, freedom of religion and democratic rights.

China's president, Hu Jintao, had requested to meet with Harper at the conference. But Hu refused to allow Harper to raise specific issues, demanding the meeting be "strategic" only -- abstract generalities and pleasantries, precisely the kind of thing at which Chretien and Martin excelled.

Avoiding specific issues meant China would never have to answer for specific actions, ranging from detaining a Canadian citizen in a Chinese jail, to violating Canadian trademarks and other intellectual property, as China so brazenly does, such as with their "Redberry" rip-off of Canada's BlackBerry.

When Harper's diplomats pressed for a meeting about substantive matters, the Chinese reneged.

Had it been Chretien or Martin who were snubbed, they'd have panicked and gone into appeasement mode.

They probably would have groveled, promised not to raise prickly issues, and perhaps even raised Canada's absurd annual gift of $65 million a year to China in foreign aid, the largest amount we give to any country.

Harper dug in. Then an amazing thing happened. After Harper's statement on human rights, his declaration of his plans to speak openly about China, Beijing called Ottawa, and asked for the meeting again. They blinked. There are a few lessons here.

First: China, like any bully, respects strength more than weakness.

Second, China has more to lose than we do from a deterioration in relations -- we'll never run out of people who want to buy our oil.

Third, Harper is making Canada relevant again in foreign affairs. Not only are we no longer apologists for dictators, but we are actually moral leaders.

Finally, Harper is putting into action the empty Liberal slogans about human rights and Canadian values.

These should colour all of our international dealings.

It was a proud moment for Canada.

Has anyone every asked Iggy if he holds dual citizenship? Will he return to his adopted country if he fails in the bid to rule the Liebrals? Do we want a "dual Citizen" running our country?

Has anyone every asked Iggy if he holds dual citizenship? Will he return to his adopted country if he fails in the bid to rule the Liebrals? Do we want a "dual Citizen" running our country?

AdScam Chretien-Martin have never told the Canadian people about the use of torture by the Heavenly Dragons of the Imperial Kingdom of China.

Nay, the AdScammers never talked to Canadians; never issued a press release; never, ever, told the journalists/editors/copy-headline writers of the MSM about the tickle-your-feet torture techniques of the Chinese Heavenly Torturers.

Why, even Bob Rae's Uncle Mao Strong did not know nothing about the Chinese Water Torturers.

As Seneca said, centuries past: Veritas Odit Moras;

Truth Hates Delay.

...- ...- ...-

China official admits to torture | November 20th, 2006

A senior Chinese official has made a rare admission about the extent of the use of torture in getting convictions in China’s courts.

Wang Zhenchuan, Deputy Procurator General, said at least 30 wrong verdicts were handed down each year because torture had been used.

Mr Wang said the real number could be higher, according to state media.

Confidence in China’s justice system has been seriously undermined by recent high-profile wrongful convictions.

[…]

o Note: I don’t know what Harper said to Hu but whatever it was China didn’t just “blink” as has been mentioned in the media. It had a collective heart attack.
jack's newswatch

Taliban Jack Layton's head has exploded again. He is suffering a crisis of self-confidence.

Will Olivia Chow not help Jack? Can you comfort Jack, Olivia?

Tally is confused, again. It was the Liberals, Jack, who did not torture Arar; it was the Chinese, er the Syrians, supposedly, who tortured that Muslim. The Chinese Dragons have the other Muslim in prison. See, Jack, the Liberals, your comrades, sent Arar to Syria for torture.

...- ...-

"NDP Leader Jack Layton also questioned whether Celil was already facing a fate similar to that of Maher Arar, the Syrian-Canadian who was tortured in Syria after being deported by U.S. authorities.

"I think what all Canadians would like to see is the release of (Celil)," Layton said.

"Learning that he's not going to be put to death when we don't even know what the charges have been is, I suppose, comforting.

"But is he meeting the same fate as Maher Arar right now?" (cnews)

Editorial:

Harper tackles China

After decades of bowing at the altar of Beijing, Ottawa it seems has finally found some spine to stand up to the big red dragon.

Predictably, the dragon is upset and irritated at the tough-speak of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and is reportedly contemplating some retaliation.

So what?

The Conservative government, led by Harper has produced a refreshing change from the impotent ambiguity displayed by the Liberals, who caught a cold when China sneezed.

For years, China trade was the yardstick used by the Liberals to measure any action or reaction against China. Not anymore says Harper and we congratulate him.

“I think Canadians want us to promote our trade relations worldwide. . . . but I don’t think Canadians want us to sell out our values, our beliefs in democracy, freedom and human rights. They don’t want us to sell that out to the almighty dollar,” he said.

You could not be more right Mr Prime Minister.

China has for years used the Liberal government and its cronies to get what it wants in Canada.

Here at The Asian Pacific Post, we have been in the forefront of documenting the abuses, industrial espionage and other unsavoury activities directly orchestrated by Beijing.
...

They desperately tried to hush up Project Sidewinder, which was trying to alert the Canadian government to a Chinese military intelligence apparatus that sets up businessmen, gangsters and diplomats overseas as part of an elaborate spy network – something the Conservative government has spoken publicly about since taking power.

Today intelligence agents in the US and Canada has warned lawmakers that China has more than 3,000 “front” companies, including about 500 in Canada whose real purpose is to direct espionage efforts.

The Liberals only demanded an apology and got a muted one after the media exposed two companies in Vancouver whose jobs were to help facilitate the covert entry of China’s secret police into Vancouver by hoodwinking the Canadian government into believing they were government executives.

The list goes on and on. Even today, the Liberals while languishing in the opposition benches are keeping to their wimpy policies.

Take the case of Huseyin Celil, a Chinese-born Muslim, who moved to Canada in 2001 and is now a dual citizen. He was arrested in Uzbekistan last March, extradited to China, and is now serving a 15-year prison term for terrorism-related offences. Because China does not recognize dual citizenship, it has refused Canadian consular officials any chance to meet with Celil.

Liberal foreign-affairs critic Dan McTeague has all along been saying he was “concerned that the requests for consular access to Celil have not been made at the highest level ... I don’t think the prime minister himself has spoken to his equivalent to ensure that basic consular access is given.”

When Harper spoke directly to the issue “at the highest level”, McTeague flip-flops saying “It’s important that the two countries get together, but it requires a deal of mutual respect which clearly isn’t forthcoming from Mr. Harper ... Mr. Harper, having absolutely no background ... has simply taken those important relationships which reflect our cultural dynamics and thrown them in the waste bin.”

If anything, the so-called “waste bin” has been filled by the Liberals who threw out the values we cherish as Canadians when it came to dealing with China.

For the Liberals, trade with China and the money it brought was the most important thing and everything else fell by the wayside.

At least with Harper, it is not the only thing. ...-

3w.asianpacificpost.com