Rally in support of Taiwan 

Friday March 11, 2005 at 11:30 AM

Queens Park

Toronto

CCD Speech at Rally for Taiwan

It is such an honour to be with our Taiwanese friends today. Even the weather seems to be cooperating – somewhat! I would like to thank the Toronto Taiwanese community for this opportunity to speak to you on a subject that is near and dear to the hearts of more Canadians than you may think.

Having built itself into vibrant democracy, it is heartbreaking to watch Taiwan being bullied by Communist China in an attempt to annex her 23 million free people against their will. It is even more heartbreaking to watch our Prime Minister, Paul Martin, work hand-in-glove with the Chinese government to legitimize a military attack on a peaceful neighbor.

It is essential for every Canadian reporter and every Canadian policy maker to understand that Taiwan has NEVER been part of the People’s Republic of China – not for a year, not for a day, not for a moment. Canada may as well lay claim to Ireland and have China sign a pact legitimizing a Canadian attack on Ireland to enforce such an absurd claim.

Let me give you a brief sketch of the Canadian Coalition for Democracies, and some history as to how we became so involved with Taiwan.

CCD has been active for about a year. Our mandate is to influence the Canadian political process and foreign policy to be more supportive of democratic nations and movements, and less appeasing of the enemies of peace and democracy. As a result, we have become a relentless watchdog of our government, making sure Canadians know when our government sells out Taiwan to China, the Lebanese to Syrian occupation, the Sri Lankans to LTTE savagery, the Israelis to Islamist terrorists, the Iraqis to Baathist murderers.

Our membership has grown to include Lebanese, Taiwanese, Egyptians, Indians, Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Jews, Copts, secularists, and everything in between. We are united not by religion or ethnicity, but by a belief in democracy as a force for peace and the only social structure for realizing human potential.

I would like to thank Columbus Leo, a brilliant and valued board member of CCD, who has been instrumental in teaching us about the threats facing his homeland, Taiwan, and its abandonment by the Canadian government.

Some of you may have seen our articles, letters, press releases, and TV and radio appearances in which CCD is demanding that Paul Martin explain his government’s bizarre China policy in detail. Canadians have the intelligence to understand a logical argument, if one exists. Hopefully, we also have the ability to smell the rot of lying and evasion.

The foreign policy of this government toward China and Taiwan is inexplicable. It does not appear to serve any recognizable interests. It does not enhance our economy, trade, regional stability, the spread of democracy, or ethics. Paul Martin has never explained it beyond a few meaningless clichés, and Canadians are beginning to wonder whose interests are being served.

Perhaps the most inexplicable act in this government’s China policy was Prime Minister Martin putting his signature to a document that commits Canada to the notorious “One China policy”. Our Prime Minister agreed on behalf of all Canadians that "...Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory. Canada reaffirms its adherence to its One China policy…”

With the “Anti-Secession Law” being passed in China, Paul Martin has signed a “War Powers Act” or a “Right of Unprovoked Attack” act. These kinds of pacts were very fashionable among Axis powers in the 1930s, but one would hope that we have learned from history.

A much wiser China observer than I came up with the following analogy to help put these events into context. The People’s Republic of China is a gangster who has his eye on a woman with whom he has never had any kind of relationship, other than living in the same neighbourhood. This woman wants nothing to do with him. The gangster is so anxious to seize his prey that he tries to recruit allies to his side, making the woman feel increasingly isolated and undefended. A politician from another country is so flattered at being invited to the gangster’s house – and, some have suggested, by the promise of personal favors from the gangster -- that he signs a contract with the gangster supporting the use of violence against the woman if she ever dares to state publicly that she has no interest in being the gangster’s molly.

I do not need to tell you who, in real life, plays the role of the gangster, the woman and the submissive politician. No analogy is perfect, but if anyone can tell me where this one does not fit Paul Martin’s decision to sign the One China Policy, I am anxious to hear it.

And what about Canada’s refusal to recognize Taiwan? Why does Canada allow non-democratic CHINA to dictate our policy toward democratic Taiwan? We do not recognize a Taiwanese ambassador. We go so far as to bar a democratically-elected representative of Taiwan from even visiting his relatives in Canada! However, non-democratically elected Chinese representatives are welcomed and honored in this country.

When the Dali Lama was to visit Canada, China demanded that he not be recognized as a political leader, only as a religious figure. Again Paul Martin meekly complied.

Canada imposes higher import duties on Taiwanese goods than it does on Chinese goods. If you have ever gone to Wal-Mart or Canadian Tire, it is nearly impossible to find a product that is not made in China. Yet, Canada continues the myth that China is a struggling under-developed nation so it can enjoy minimum duties. Taiwan, on the other hand, is considered a developed nation and faces higher import duties on its goods.

What could be more bizarre, other than the rest of Canada’s China policy, than the fact that China, with the world’s largest army and its own space program, receives foreign aid from the Canadian taxpayer. The Paul Martin government approved over $50 million in aid to China in 2005 and even more in 2006. This is in addition to over $100 million provided between 2000 and 2004. In 2003, China had a GDP of $1.4 trillion, military spending in the tens of billions, and exports to Canada totaling over $20 billion.  Canada's economy grew 2.8 % last year, while China’s grew at a sizzling 9.5%. For crying out loud, China was ready and able to buy Noranda, Canada’s largest mining company, for $7 billion! And we’re sending foreign aid to China?

There was a brief ray of hope last Wednesday when International Co-operation Minister Aileen Carroll announced a more rational foreign aid policy, with funds being tied to need and good governance. Anyone would have thought that this would mean the end of aid to a wealthy superpower like China with its appalling human rights record. CCD was on the verge of issuing a press release commending the government for returning some common sense and ethics to our foreign aid program. Fortunately, we decided to hold back and see if the commitment was real. Sure enough, yesterday Minister Carroll announced that aid to China would continue! So this is not some long-standing policy continuing by inertia. It is a priority with the Martin government, and not to be tampered with.

China must be thrilled that it can free up $54 million in 2005 alone, and that it now has a committed revenue stream from the Canadian taxpayer going into the future. China can count on having an extra hundred million dollars or so to add to its arsenal of 700 missiles aimed at Taiwan.

So what is the explanation for such a strange foreign policy? Does it serve regional stability?  Canada’s endorsement of the use of military force against a small nation strikes me as rather de-stabilizing, so it can’t be regional stability. Could it be trade? With the trade balance in manufactured goods overwhelmingly in China’s favor, any restrictions in trade would hurt China, not Canada, so it can’t be trade. Could it be the Canadian economy? Low import duties on Chinese goods have gutted Canadian manufacturing, so the reason cannot be economic. What about democracy? Endorsing the forced annexation of a vibrant democracy by a dictatorship is hardly the stuff of supporting democracy. What about recognition of national sovereignty? With China’s subjugation of Tibet and the threats against Taiwan, both endorsed by Prime Minister Paul Martin, our China policy is clearly not based on respect for sovereignty.

So how do you explain Canada’s China policy? Unless the Prime Minister provides Canadians with a clear and believable rationale for this policy that serves no apparent national interest, Canadians have little option but to ask whose interests are served by submitting to the will of Beijing? And the Prime Minister should not be surprised if Canadians begin to question if the only real beneficiaries of this Alice-in-Wonderland China policy are the select few who are making it.

And that bring us to this rally. We can reasonably speculate on whose interests are being served by Canada’s submission to Beijing, but we know for certain whose interests are NOT being served. Taiwan is the sacrificial lamb in this policy. Canada has sold out 23 million people who have struggled to build a vibrant democracy, with freedom of speech, freedom of religion, rule of law, property rights – all the things that Canadians are supposed to cherish. And for what? Mr. Prime Minister, please tell us “For what?”

We must go on record today demanding that Prime Minister Paul Martin reverse his support for a One China policy, and put the rights of 23 million democratic Taiwanese ahead of whatever interests are being served by Canada’s total submission to the will of communist China.

The Canadian Coalition for Democracies needs your help to continue to support democratic allies such as Taiwan. Please visit our website at CanadianCoalition.com and click on Join Now. We would also welcome your comments and observations on Taiwan or any other topic on our Public Message Forum. The forum receives thousands of visitors every day and your voice will be heard.

Taiwan has friends in Canada – more than you know – and you must not be shy. Together we will fight for the day when Canada will tear up the war pact signed by Prime Minister Paul Martin between Canada and a communist dictatorship against a peaceful sister democracy.

Long live free and democratic Taiwan! Thank you.

Alastair Gordon
President
Canadian Coalition for Democracies
PO Box 72602
345 Bloor Street East
Toronto, ON  M4W 3J0 Canada

Commentary on this event on Public Message Forum