Former Canadian Ambassador to China Dominic Barton was the guest of discreet activity by a Canadian-Chinese business lobby led by the Desmarais clan on the same day a public inquiry into election interference was ruled out.
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On Tuesday, Special Rapporteur David Johnston declined to recommend a public inquiry into foreign interference in the country, saying the intelligence information was “sensitive”.
At the same time, in Beijing, ex-diplomat Dominic Barton, formerly of McKinsey, attended a meeting of the Canada-China Business Council (CACC), founded by Paul Desmarais senior, who has long been close to the Liberal family and is the head of the Power Corporation -empire.
The Journal has learned that the exchange was members-only under the “Chatham Rule,” which means attendees are barred from revealing the speakers’ identities for confidentiality reasons.
At Le Journal’s request, the CACC and Dominic Barton were unable to grant an immediate interview due to the time difference.
Relationships “in the freezer»
According to Guy Saint-Jacques, the former Canadian ambassador to China, Mr Barton is labeled “pro-China”.
“Today he is CEO of Rio Tinto,” he recalls. More than 54% of the company’s sales came from China last year. When asked by Le Journal, Rio Tinto declined to comment.
Saint-Jacques said Canada-China relations would have been “in the freezer” if an investigation into interference had been launched in the country.
“The chemistry between Justin Trudeau and Xi Jinping is not right yet,” he says. The cold after Meng Wanzhou and the two Michaels were arrested left scars between the two countries, he stressed. The activities of the business lobby take place in this context.
“Eyes Wide Open”
In an interview with the Journal, former Quebec Prime Minister Philippe Couillard, who was also invited to attend a Canada-China Business Council event in early May, reiterated that we cannot turn our backs on China.
“You have to keep your eyes open. If we want to go there, we have to do it with the full knowledge of Canada’s and Quebec’s diplomatic authorities,” said the man who visited that country twice as prime minister.
Photo archive, QMI Agency (Joël Lemay)
“It is an illusion to think that you can bypass or ignore China. “It’s a giant of the global economy that’s only going to get bigger,” he concludes.
In his opinion, we must consider that it is the second largest economy in the world. “We must prudently cultivate open communication relationships. There are many Canadian and Quebec companies that are there,” he pleads.
For Ari Van Assche, full professor of international affairs at HEC Montreal and a specialist on China, it is quite normal for former politicians to attend such meetings, as happens in Europe or elsewhere in the world.
“This does not mean that the Canada-China Business Council fully agrees with the statements made. It’s pretty normal,” he concludes.
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