Canada's relationship with the People's Republic of China (PRC) is entering a new chapter — and the opportunities are significant. Renewed diplomatic ties, reduced tariffs on key exports, and fresh interest from major Chinese investors signal real momentum. But seizing those opportunities requires more than optimism. It requires understanding how Beijing operates and guardrails to protect Canadian values, as well as economic and national security interests.
The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada is launching PRC Power Abroad and the Guardrails We Need — a new webinar series unpacking the PRC's evolving foreign policy toolkit. Each session brings leading global experts to offer practical insights for Canadian businesses, policymakers, and advocates looking to engage China strategically — and on Canada's terms.
Session 3: PRC’s Strategy of Lawfare and Lessons from Hong Kong
Hong Kong's common law system was once treated as an institutional firewall. This session traces how it was dismantled — from the 1997 sovereignty transfer through the 2019 Anti-Extradition Bill protests and their aftermath. Dr. Eric Lai, Senior Fellow at Georgetown Center for Asian Law, and author of Legal Resistance under Authoritarianism, will examine how a critical minority of legal professionals resisted state encroachment, the limits of that resistance, and what Hong Kong's experience reveals about the vulnerability of legal institutions to sustained political pressure from above.
