Latest news with #SharingCanada
CBC
05-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Ottawa moves to guard businesses against hostile takeovers during trade war
Social Sharing Canada's industry minister is looking to block what he calls "predatory investment behaviour" as the trade war with the United States continues. François-Philippe Champagne warned Wednesday that Canadian businesses could be at risk due to the sweeping tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. "As a result of the rapidly shifting trade environment, some Canadian businesses could see their valuations decline, making them susceptible to opportunistic or predatory investment behaviour by non-Canadians," he said in a statement posted to the social media platform X. He said if critically important firms are compromised, it could jeopardize Canada's economic security. Champagne said he is updating the Investment Canada Act (ICA) so that the federal government must consider economic security as a factor when deciding whether a deal can go ahead. The ICA is Ottawa's tool to weigh whether a proposed investment by a foreign actor will benefit Canada's economy. The act already requires the federal government to consider the national security impacts of proposed investments. Champagne said Wednesday that economic security amounts to national security. He said the update will allow Canada to reject foreign investments that could harm the Canadian economy or workers. Champagne said the ICA changes look to strike a balance between encouraging foreign investment and safeguarding the country's national interests. The move comes one day after the U.S. imposed 25 per cent tariffs on most Canadian goods, with a 10 per cent levy on energy exports, prompting a wave of retaliatory tariffs from Canada.
CBC
05-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Canada, U.S. offered Uyghurs in Thailand asylum before their deportation to China: sources
Social Sharing Canada and the United States offered to resettle 48 ethnic Uyghurs held in detention in Thailand over the past decade, sources told Reuters, but Bangkok took no action for fear of upsetting China, where they were covertly deported last week. Thailand has defended the deportation, which came despite calls from United Nations human rights experts, saying that it acted in accordance to laws and human rights obligations. Human rights groups accuse China of widespread abuses of Uyghurs, a mainly Muslim ethnic minority numbering about 10 million in its northwestern region of Xinjiang. Beijing denies any abuses. Thai Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said on Monday that no country made any concrete offer to resettle the 48 Uyghurs. "We waited for more than 10 years, and I have spoken to many major countries, but no one told me for certain," he told reporters. Phumtham was out of government from 2006 until mid-2023. The United States offered to resettle the 48 Uyghurs, said an official from the U.S. State Department. "The United States has worked with Thailand for years to avoid this situation, including by consistently and repeatedly offering to resettle the Uyghurs in other countries, including, at one point, the United States," the U.S. official said, asking not to be named. Canada also offered asylum to the detained Uyghurs, said four sources, including diplomats and people with direct knowledge. Two of these sources said another offer came from Australia. Human rights activist 'never thought' China would target 'ordinary Canadians' like himself 2 months ago Duration 7:35 Canada has condemned China after the latter imposed sanctions on two Canadian human rights organizations, the Canada Tibet Committee (CTC) and the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project. The measures, which took effect on Saturday, include asset freezes and bans on entry. Sherap Therchin, the CTC's executive director, says he sees China's sanctions as a recognition of his organization's work. These proposals, which the sources said were not taken forward by Thailand over fears of a fallout with China, have not been previously reported. All the sources declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter. Thailand's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. China's foreign ministry said in response to a question from Reuters that the repatriation was carried out in accordance with Chinese, Thai and international law. "The repatriated were Chinese nationals who are illegal migrants," it said. "The legitimate rights of the relevant people are fully protected." A spokesperson for Canada's immigration ministry said they would not comment on individual cases. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade referred to a statement by Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who said on Friday the country "strongly disagrees" with Thailand's decision. China's embassy in Bangkok said in a statement on Friday that 40 Chinese illegal migrants, who had not committed any serious crimes, had returned home to be reunited with their families after more than 10 years of separation. Besides the 40 Uyghurs deported last week, five are currently in a Thai prison due to an ongoing criminal case, according to local officials. Reuters could not immediately confirm the whereabouts of the other three people. 'Didn't want to upset China': ex-Thai ambassador to Canada Pisan Manawapat, a Thai ambassador to Canada and the U.S between 2013 and 2017 and a senator before he retired in 2024, said that at least three countries had approached Thailand with proposals to resettle the Uyghurs, but declined to name them. "We didn't want to upset China," Pisan told Reuters, without providing further details. "So we did not make the decision at the political level to go through with this." China is Thailand's biggest trade partner and the two countries have close business ties. Deputy premier Phumtham said Thailand made the decision to deport the group to China last week after reassurances from Beijing that Thai officials would be allow to monitor the Uyghurs' well-being in the country following their return. United Nations human rights experts had said the group would be at risk of torture, ill-treatment, and "irreparable harm" if returned to China, and their deportation has drawn widespread condemnation. Following the deportation, the UN's refugee agency said in a statement that it was repeatedly denied access to the group by Thai authorities. A source said the UN refugee agency's lack of access to the Uyghurs meant they could not be processed as asylum seekers, stalling their potential resettlement and leaving them stuck in detention.
CBC
20-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
Ambassador says U.S. recognizes Canada's 'progress' in protecting border, tackling fentanyl
Social Sharing Canada's ambassador to the United States hinted the country might avoid U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs by continuing to tackle illegal migration and fentanyl trafficking. In an interview on Wednesday with CBC's Power & Politics guest host J.P. Tasker, Ambassador Kirsten Hillman said advisers to the president are "pleased" with Canada's efforts. She added that "everybody that we're talking to" in Washington suggests Trump's March 4 deadline to impose 25 per cent tariffs on almost all imports from Canada is tied to the country's efforts to fight the scourge of fentanyl and protect the border. Canada has taken a series of measures in response to the president's concerns, including forging ahead with a $1.3-billion plan to secure the Canada-U.S. border and appointing former senior Mountie Kevin Brosseau as fentanyl czar. Trump is also threatening to levy additional 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports — including from Canada, its largest importer of the metals — as of March 12. "There is a recognition that Canada has made important steps and we are doing good work," Hillman said. "Continuing to report on those results is something we're going to be doing over the coming days and weeks as well." She added that illegal migration from Canada to the U.S. has decreased by nine per cent in recent months. Tariffs as a negotiation tool Hillman stressed that Trump dangling tariffs and repeating that Canada should become the 51st state are part of his strategy to make gains on non-trade related matters, such as protecting domestic steel and aluminum — industries that he's interested in supporting. Part of her job, Hillman said, is to demonstrate that wielding such threats against Canada has "the opposite effect" of what the president is trying to achieve. "He's a very strategic guy who uses this kind of rhetoric to set the stage for negotiations," she said. "Creating concern in Canada is exactly his goal." Hillman suggests avoiding escalation to weather the president's tactics — an approach that sharply contrasts former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland's. WATCH | Hillman says tariffs are linked to Canada ensuring border security: Will Canada avoid Trump's latest tariff threat on autos? 3 hours ago Duration 11:30 In late January, the Liberal leadership contender called for the federal government to "immediately publish a detailed, dollar-for-dollar retaliation list" including $200 billion worth of U.S. products that could be subject to Canadian trade action if Trump were to follow through on the threats. While Hillman wouldn't comment on Freeland's request directly, she cautioned against "escalating rhetoric" with the U.S. administration, saying she doubts that approach would benefit Canadians in the short and medium term. Instead, she suggests Canada should demonstrate strength and resolve as well as national pride because the president respects that. "We need to be pragmatic and we need to be able to find a path that helps the president achieve the goals he's trying to achieve in a manner that also benefits Canada," she said.
