MARCH 12, 2020.

Of all the challenges facing newly-appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois-Philippe Champagne, the most difficult will be relations with China. On the one hand, there is concern about the impact of further deterioration in commercial ties on the Canadian economy. On the other hand, fears about Chinese espionage and foreign interference in domestic affairs are prompting calls for a distancing of diplomatic and commercial relations with the PRC. At the centre of current difficulties in the bilateral relationship is the detention of Huawei CFO Meng Wenzhou in Vancouver and the retaliatory arrests of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor in Beijing—a dispute that seems to have no resolution in sight. All of the above is happening in the broader context of a deepening trade and technology conflict between China and the United States that has the potential to decouple the two economies in a way that could not have been imagined just a few years ago. There is an urgent need to rethink and reframe Canada-China relations in light of what could be a decades long strategic contest between the US and China, and to do so in a way that maximizes the independence and flexibility of Canadian foreign policy.

Mr. Woo has over three decades’ experience in strategy and policy for business, government and not-for- profit organizations.  Widely recognized as a leading thinker on international economic issues and Canada-Asia relations, he was appointed to the Senate of Canada in November 2016, and sits as an independent representing British Columbia.

Prior to joining the Senate, he was President of HQ Vancouver, a public-private partnership that promotes British Columbia as a location for head offices of international companies.  From 2005-2014, he was President and CEO of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, where he continues to serve as Distinguished East Asia Fellow. He is chair of the board of the Vancouver Academy of Music, and a member of some other boards. In 2012, he was honoured with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Award for his contributions to Canada-Asia relations.

In September 2017, Senator Woo was elected as the Facilitator of the Independent Senators Group.

Senator Woo Biography