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Canada-China Free Trade Agreement would mean expanded tar sands, a pipeline to the coast


Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcing exploratory talks on a Canada-China Free Trade Agreement, September 2016.


The Chinese government is seeking greater investment in and ownership of the tar sands through a proposed Canada-China Free Trade Agreement.


Exploratory talks toward a Canada-China FTA began on February 20 in Beijing and a second round is now scheduled to take place in April.


The Globe and Mail reports, “China’s new envoy [Ambassador Lu Shaye] says Beijing is seeking unfettered access for Chinese state-owned firms to all key sectors of the Canadian economy during free-trade talks now under way with Ottawa – including an end to restrictions barring these enterprises from investing in the oil sands.”


The article adds, “Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has made deepening trade relations with China, including a free-trade deal, key foreign-policy objectives and the Liberals are also loosening restrictions on outside investment. In November, Ottawa announced it would raise the threshold for automatic reviews of foreign takeovers to $1-billion two years ahead of schedule.”


A Canada-China FTA would very likely include the controversial ‘investment protection’ provision that would strengthen a similar provision in the Canada-China Foreign Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement (FIPA).


The Hupacasath First Nation, which is located on Vancouver Island, has stated that the Canadian government failed to consult First Nations before signing the Canada-China FIPA in 2012. They argued in Federal Court that FIPA, specifically its investor-state provision, could be used to override Indigenous rights and give the balance of power in questions of resource management to corporations rather than affected communities.


This is significant given The Globe and Mail has also reported, “China wants to forge a historic free-trade deal with Canada, but a senior Chinese official said this will require Canadian concessions on investment restrictions [notably in the oil and gas sector] and a commitment to build an energy pipeline to the coast.”


As such, the free trade agreement with China would particularly impact the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, the Beaver Lake Cree Nation, the Lubicon Cree First Nation, the Mikisew Cree First Nation and other First Nations whose territory is directly impacted by the tar sands. The free trade agreement would also impact the First Nations along the various energy pipeline routes, including the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline whose route crosses the lands of 120 First Nations.


The Trudeau government has now launched an online public consultation on the proposed Canada-China FTA — strangely, six months after it announced exploratory talks would take place and three weeks after those talks began in Beijing. This 90-day consultation period ends on Friday June 2.


While the government’s online form does not allow for a straightforward and clear ‘I do not support a Canada-China FTA’ statement, you can send a message to the consultation and to Prime Minister Trudeau by going to our online action alert – Stop the Canada-China Free Trade Agreement talks!


The Council of Canadians supports the call for a 100 per cent clean energy economy by 2050 and opposes free trade agreements that enable and protect damaging extractive projects. We oppose the Canada-China Free Trade Agreement and see it as detrimental to people and the environment in both Canada and China.