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.
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, examines how a critical minority of legal professionals resisted state encroachment with APF Canada's Senior Advisor for China Programs, Elizabeth Donkervoort. They also unpack the limits of that resistance and what Hong Kong's experience reveals about the vulnerability of legal institutions to sustained political pressure from above.
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