Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibetan, Uyghur Communities Condemn China's Transnational Repression; Canadian Cross-Party Support
Taiwan, Uyghur, Tibetan, and Hong Kong communities hosted a symposium in Canada to counter transnational repression, gaining cross-party parliamentary and diplomatic support. Participants condemned China's coercive actions and affirmed democratic allies' commitment to resisting such pressures.
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- 📰 Published: April 24, 2026 at 17:26
- 🔍 Collected: April 24, 2026 at 17:32 (5 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 24, 2026 at 21:12 (3h 40m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Cheng Ai-fen, Vancouver 23rd exclusive) As relations between Canada and China heat up, communities from Taiwan, Uyghur, Tibet, and Hong Kong jointly organized a symposium on "Countering Transnational Repression." The event received support from cross-party senators and representatives from Canada and diplomats from various countries. Participants shared their experiences of suppression and condemned China's coercive actions, demonstrating the determination of democratic partners to jointly resist transnational repression.
The symposium was held today at the Sir John A. Macdonald Building, a federal government property in Canada. It marked the first large-scale symposium on transnational repression held in Parliament by the communities of Taiwan, Uyghur, Tibet, and Hong Kong. Over 100 officials, scholars, and experts from various countries, including Canada, the United States, Australia, Malaysia, Poland, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Estonia, gathered, making it a significant event.
Senator Leo Housakos, the opposition leader in the Senate, was the first to speak. He shared his sadness after attending the book launch yesterday for "Unbroken" by Uyghur human rights advocate Rushan Abbas, where he heard about Abbas and her family's persecution by the CCP. "This is not just Abbas's story; more similar tragedies are constantly happening."
Mehmet Tohti, Executive Director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project, has been a "thorn in the side" of the Chinese government for years. He stated that he lost contact with his family in China since 2016, but whenever he was about to speak out for Uyghurs at important international events, he would receive intimidating calls or messages threatening his family's lives in China.
Namgyal Choedup, Representative of the Central Tibetan Administration to North America, and Aileen Calverley, Executive Director of Hong Kong Watch, also strongly criticized China for eroding Tibetan culture and Hong Kong's democracy.
Melissa Lantsman, Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada; Judy Sgro, Liberal Member of Parliament and Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade; Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc Québécois Member of Parliament and Vice-Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development; and Sameer Zuberi, Liberal Member of Parliament, all warned in their speeches that Canada must not overlook China's united front tactics and threats of repression when resuming trade relations with China, as these would severely harm Canada's security and democracy.
Housakos told the Central News Agency after the symposium that despite Canada moving closer to China to cope with U.S. trade threats, it must remain clear-headed. "We have been dealing with China for over half a century and are very clear about what we ultimately get: massive dumping and economic coercion." He believes that Canada and China cannot become true partners and that relations between Canada and the United States will eventually return to normal.
China is actively lobbying several member states, including Canada, to support its bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Sgro told the Central News Agency, "China is not qualified. Taiwan's conditions, including trade, economy, and rule of law, have already met the standards, and Taiwan should be allowed to join the CPTPP."
Housakos and Sgro both stated that despite China's voice being amplified in the current geopolitical climate, democratic partners must actively speak out and warn against China's threats, never turning a blind eye.
Taiwan's Representative to Canada, Tseng Hou-jen, stated that G7 nations, including Canada, are collectively facing challenges from the Chinese Communist Party's united front influence and interference. Taiwan, standing on the front line of resisting China's threats, is well-versed in China's methods of shaping public opinion, infiltrating decision-making circles, and expanding external influence. Taiwan is very willing to share its experience with international partners to jointly cooperate and safeguard democratic values and a free and open international order. (Editor: Hsieh Yi-hsuan) 1150424
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(Central News Agency reporter Cheng Ai-fen, Vancouver 23rd exclusive) As relations between Canada and China heat up, communities from Taiwan, Uyghur, Tibet, and Hong Kong jointly organized a symposium on "Countering Transnational Repression." The event received support from cross-party senators and representatives from Canada and diplomats from various countries. Participants shared their experiences of suppression and condemned China's coercive actions, demonstrating the determination of democratic partners to jointly resist transnational repression.
The symposium was held today at the Sir John A. Macdonald Building, a federal government property in Canada. It marked the first large-scale symposium on transnational repression held in Parliament by the communities of Taiwan, Uyghur, Tibet, and Hong Kong. Over 100 officials, scholars, and experts from various countries, including Canada, the United States, Australia, Malaysia, Poland, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Estonia, gathered, making it a significant event.
Senator Leo Housakos, the opposition leader in the Senate, was the first to speak. He shared his sadness after attending the book launch yesterday for "Unbroken" by Uyghur human rights advocate Rushan Abbas, where he heard about Abbas and her family's persecution by the CCP. "This is not just Abbas's story; more similar tragedies are constantly happening."
Mehmet Tohti, Executive Director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project, has been a "thorn in the side" of the Chinese government for years. He stated that he lost contact with his family in China since 2016, but whenever he was about to speak out for Uyghurs at important international events, he would receive intimidating calls or messages threatening his family's lives in China.
Namgyal Choedup, Representative of the Central Tibetan Administration to North America, and Aileen Calverley, Executive Director of Hong Kong Watch, also strongly criticized China for eroding Tibetan culture and Hong Kong's democracy.
Melissa Lantsman, Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada; Judy Sgro, Liberal Member of Parliament and Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade; Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc Québécois Member of Parliament and Vice-Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development; and Sameer Zuberi, Liberal Member of Parliament, all warned in their speeches that Canada must not overlook China's united front tactics and threats of repression when resuming trade relations with China, as these would severely harm Canada's security and democracy.
Housakos told the Central News Agency after the symposium that despite Canada moving closer to China to cope with U.S. trade threats, it must remain clear-headed. "We have been dealing with China for over half a century and are very clear about what we ultimately get: massive dumping and economic coercion." He believes that Canada and China cannot become true partners and that relations between Canada and the United States will eventually return to normal.
China is actively lobbying several member states, including Canada, to support its bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Sgro told the Central News Agency, "China is not qualified. Taiwan's conditions, including trade, economy, and rule of law, have already met the standards, and Taiwan should be allowed to join the CPTPP."
Housakos and Sgro both stated that despite China's voice being amplified in the current geopolitical climate, democratic partners must actively speak out and warn against China's threats, never turning a blind eye.
Taiwan's Representative to Canada, Tseng Hou-jen, stated that G7 nations, including Canada, are collectively facing challenges from the Chinese Communist Party's united front influence and interference. Taiwan, standing on the front line of resisting China's threats, is well-versed in China's methods of shaping public opinion, infiltrating decision-making circles, and expanding external influence. Taiwan is very willing to share its experience with international partners to jointly cooperate and safeguard democratic values and a free and open international order. (Editor: Hsieh Yi-hsuan) 1150424
Choose to stand with the facts. Your every sponsorship is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-Hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
Texts, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.