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China is again denying claims of forced labour in the country as calls grow for Prime Minister Mark Carney to clarify Canada’s stance on the issue amid fallout from comments made by Liberal MP Michael Ma that appeared to cast doubt on reported human rights abuses.
The Chinese Embassy in Canada pushed back on the allegation that forced labour is used in the production of Chinese electric vehicle components in a social media post Friday night, calling it a “blatant lie” that some are using to undermine the Canada-China EV deal.
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On Thursday, Ma apologized for a tense exchange during a committee hearing where he asked an expert if she’d seen forced labour in China with her own eyes after she told committee members that Chinese vehicles are made with products of slave labour performed by members of the Uyghur minority.
Ma later clarified he had been asking about forced labour in Shenzen, an EV manufacturing hub, not Xinjiang, where the Chinese government has been accused of widespread abuses against Uyghurs.
Still, calls are growing among Conservatives for Carney to address Ma’s comments and clarify where the federal government stands on the issue of forced labour as Canada builds a stronger trade relationship with China.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called on Carney to provide a yes or no response on whether the prime minister believes there is forced labour in China in a social media post Saturday morning, echoing a previous call from Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong for Carney to “urgently” clarify his position.
— with files from Dylan Robertson and Nick Murray
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