China accuses Canada of hypocrisy for criticizing Beijing's human rights record, pointing to problems faced by indigenous people.
The setback comes after Ottawa sanctioned eight Chinese officials whom it accuses of “serious human rights violations” against ethnic and religious minorities, and expressed concern about democracy in Hong Kong.
Ottawa issued a statement last month citing reports of arbitrary and violent detentions of Uighur people, as well as repression of Tibetans and Falun Gong practitioners.
Global Affairs Canada also says it “deplores” that authorities are awarding international rewards to Hong Kong democracy activists and the territory's former lawmakers, including Canadians.
Beijing says those claims are baseless and has sanctioned groups and activists in Canada that defend minorities in China, banning citizens from certain interactions with these activists.
Since then, China's state media has repeatedly criticized Canada for its treatment of indigenous people, claiming Ottawa is being hypocritical.
“Canada is not in a position to lecture others about human rights,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a news conference on Dec. 11, according to an official translation.
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“Even today, Canada's Indigenous people still face systemic racial discrimination and unfair treatment. Instead of addressing it, Canada chooses to smear and vilify other countries.”
Mao added that “China has made enormous progress in human rights” that “no one without prejudice can deny.”
A day later, he added that “all of this is an ugly and hypocritical political stunt carried out by some Canadian political figures under the pretext of human rights, to serve an unspeakable agenda and please the United States.”
China's embassy in Ottawa has been amplifying those messages on social media, including a political cartoon by state media outlet CGTN that shows a beaver with a tattered house telling a panda with a pristine house that it has some cracks.
“Canada turns a blind eye to the systematic racism and unfair treatment faced by indigenous peoples, but fabricates accusations and smears China's progress on human rights,” the cartoon's caption reads. “Their constant political manipulation on human rights issues is nothing more than a hypocritical farce of double standards.”
In a recurring assessment of human rights issues in Canada, the United Nations noted that progress had been made on Indigenous rights and housing, while calling for more to be done.
The November 2023 assessment called on Canadian governments to stop human rights abuses by Canadian mining corporations abroad and the overrepresentation of minorities in prison and child welfare. It also called on Canada to better respect indigenous peoples' rights to free, prior and informed consent.
The same body's assessment of China in January 2024 noted that the country had improved its policies for women and children, but urged the government to act to “ensure that all detainees are formally accounted for, have access to their families and are held in officially recognized places of detention.” .”
It urged China to “respect the rights to freedom of religion or belief, opinion and expression, peaceful assembly and culture, including for Tibetans, Uyghurs and other minorities” and said anti-terrorism laws do not “meet international laws and standards.” human rights.” ”, even in Hong Kong.
© 2025 The Canadian Press