Canada Should Be Vigilant About China’s Untoward Goals in International Organizations: Professor

As Beijing seeks increasing influence within international organizations, Canada should actively fortify its alliances with traditional Western partners to counter the regime’s ambition to reshape the democratic international structure, MPs heard.
The professor of international affairs pointed to Beijing’s pursuit of leadership positions within international institutions as the first pillar of its global governance strategy. He highlighted the United Nations and its related agencies, including the Human Rights Council and U.N. peacekeeping missions.
“Why does this matter? Over the years, U.N. peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations have played an essential role in fostering democracy, advancing human rights, and contributing to developing open markets,” he said. “China’s reputation and influence in those missions will move the goalposts away from democratization and good governance.”
Equally concerning is China’s focus on expanding influence in key global standards-setting bodies, such as the International Telecommunication Union, International Organization for Standardization, and International Electrotechnical Commission.
Mr. Hampson said Canada should not harbour any illusions that Beijing will support its positions and aspirations for leadership in the U.N. and other international bodies. Despite this, he urged Canada to uphold its international commitments.
“That’s not the reason to throw in the towel or walk away from our international commitments and responsibilities,” he said. “It does mean that we’re going to have to work much harder to make new friends and build new international coalitions beyond our traditional Western support group to advance our values and interests.”
Mr. Hampson called for proactive measures to counterbalance China’s growing influence.
“We must become more active in offsetting Chinese influence, not just here in Canada, but internationally and in those institutions where the Chinese are making a real bid for power and influence,” he said.
And Canada should be “a strong champion of governance reform to counter influence in those institutions,” as he said many developing countries are interested in BRICS because of “widespread dissatisfaction” with the governance structures of existing international institutions.
The IPS, describing the communist regime as an “increasingly disruptive global power,” also noted that “China has benefitted from the rules-based international order to grow and prosper, but it is now actively seeking to reinterpret these rules to gain greater advantage.”
Mr. Hampson said things haven’t changed “very substantially.” “There are commitments underway to add to the strength of our navy, or at least replace old stock. But we have yet to … really put any of that new capital into the water,” he said.
Mr. Seeback said that was some of the complaints he himself has heard. “It talks a lot about things, but the actual deliverables either aren’t there when they’re specified. But even most things aren’t specified.”
Mr. Hampson highlighted the direction Australia is moving in, increasing its defence spending along with enhancing its military capabilities with nuclear-powered submarines.
“At the end of the day, people will look and our allies will look at our capabilities, which have not increased substantially in the past two years,” he said. “We’re playing a catch up game and we’re falling farther and farther behind, I’m afraid, even with the new commitments that the government is making.”