How to Deal With China on Human Rights

An incident at a Thai detention centre last month offers an example of China’s growing reach and influence. It’s also a reminder of how difficult it is going to be for us to manage a positive relationship with China without losing sight of core Canadian interests. Difficult, but not impossible.

Jiang Yefei and Dong Guangping are human-rights activists who fled China for Bangkok, where they joined a community of similarly motivated Chinese refugees. China is in the midst of a prolonged crackdown on dissent, a campaign that now includes efforts to repatriate dissidents from compliant countries in Asia. Thailand is coming under heavy Chinese pressure because it is an important destination for political dissidents such as Mr. Jiang and Mr. Dong and for Uyghur Muslims who are struggling under heavy-handed Chinese rule.