Vancouver: Friends of Canada-India, others protest against China's 'irresponsible actions'
Friends of Canada-India along with seven other organisations, on Sept 27, held a demonstration against China in front of Chinese Consulate Office in Vancouver.
- World News
- 2 min read
Friends of Canada-India along with seven other organisations, on September 27, held a demonstration against China in front of Chinese Consulate Office in Vancouver. While condemning Beijing for the 'irresponsible actions’ and ‘dictatorship approach’, the protesters demanded the release of two detained Canadians in China. The demonstrations were also held in a bid to resist CCP, to oppose China’s new Hong Kong national security law, and to free Hong Kong, Tibet and Indian part.
Maninder Gill of Friends of Canada-India said, “The law threatens freedom of the press, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly”.
According to ANI, more than 500 people gathered on Sunday afternoon to participate in the protest. While the demonstrators raised slogans against Beijing, they also followed all the guidelines by the BC Ministry of Health due to the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic.
Apart from Friends of Canada-India, seven other organisations that participated in the protests included Canada Tibet Committee and the Tibetan Community, Friends of Canada India Organization, Vancouver Society of Freedom, Democracy and Human Rights for China, Vancouver Hong Kong Political Activists, Vancouverites concerned about Hong Kong, Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement (VSSDM) and Vancouver Uyghur Association.
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All the eight groups demanded the release of two detained Canadians caught in a diplomatic standoff over Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou. The senior executive for Chinese communications giant Huawei Technologies was arrested in Vancouver’s airport in late 2018. Her arrest infuriated Beijing as they see her case as a political move designed to prevent China’s rise.
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Tensions between Canada-China
Meng’s arrest soured relations between Canada and China and in apparent retaliation, Beijing detained former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and Canadian entrepreneur Michael Spavor. In addition, China also placed restrictions on various Canadian exports to China, including canola oilseed.
On the other hand, amid the rising tensions, earlier this month, Canada also announced its step back from trade negotiations with China due to several disagreements on a various range of topics. Canada has decided to take a step back and analyse its future policy with Beijing through the "lens of China of 2020". This sudden departure from trade negotiations with China signals a policy shift in Canada, bringing it more in line with countries like the United States, Australia and some European Union countries.