Ottawa, ON – James Bezan, Conservative Shadow Minister for National Defence and Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on National Defence, issued the following statement on Canadian troops training with the Chinese military:
“Recently, Canadians were shocked to read reports that three Canadian Armed Forces specialists were sent to China in 2023 to train members of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
“One of the goals of the training exercise was allegedly to ‘improve interoperability’. This is extremely disturbing given the PLA’s track record of threatening neighbours like Taiwan and oppressing its own people at home.
“This story comes after Canadians learned, through Beijing’s own state-controlled media, that the Liberals had resumed defence coordination talks with the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
“Conservatives have long expressed concern with the government’s decision to pursue a ‘strategic partnership’ with the PRC.
“This is especially ridiculous given that the Beijing regime has interfered with Canadian elections, kidnapped our citizens, set up secret police stations on our soil, dropped surveillance buoys in our Arctic waters and flown spy balloons through our airspace. Even Minister Champagne has remarked several times that the China of today ‘is not the China of 2016 or even of 2018.’
“Due to these troubling revelations, Conservatives will be moving the following motion at the Standing Committee on National Defence when the Parliamentary session resumes next week:
That pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the Standing Committee on National Defence undertake a study of two meetings regarding the Fifth China-Canada Defence Coordination Dialogue and recent reports that Canadian Armed Forces members participated in Exercise Khaan Quest in 2023, that the committee invite the Minister of National Defence, the Chief of the Defence Staff, and other expert witnesses; and that the committee report its findings to the House.
“Canadians deserve answers from this Liberal government as to why the Prime Minister has reversed course after calling China ‘the biggest security threat’ to our country
“Conservatives will always fight for accountability, and for a country that is truly strong and free.”