Citizenship and Immigration committee  Yes, Mr. Chair, I would agree with that statement.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. The last few days have seen some very important developments on the China human rights scene. As some of you may have noted, Global Affairs Canada released a statement on May 30 regarding the outcomes of the trial of what we call the "Hong Kong 47", again expressing our grave concerns about the application of the national security law for what we believe are legitimate expressions of political views in Hong Kong.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  As mentioned in the universal periodic review statement by Canada in January, we called for Hong Kong to discontinue all cases against individuals charged with exercising their human rights and freedoms.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Mr. Chair, it's been very clear to Mr. Lai's family, legal counsel and other supporters what Canada's position is on his case and, of course, what our position is on the national security law. We have consistently spoken out about Jimmy Lai's case, and we will continue to do so.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I'm sorry. Could you repeat the question?

Citizenship and Immigration committee  If I understand correctly, Mr. Chair, the question is about whether or not our relations with the PRC are impacting our ability to conduct advocacy on Mr. Lai's case. Is that correct?

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you for raising that. We have been focused on human rights in Hong Kong for many years. Our position has been very consistent over many years. We've spoken out multiple times about Jimmy Lai. We have called for the release of all individuals charged under the NSL. We continue to conduct that kind of advocacy.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I'm just learning now that this is an issue being looked at by ICAO. We are aware of their headquarters being in Montreal. The lead for ICAO is actually Transport Canada, but we would be pleased to work with IRCC and Transport Canada officials to ensure that some important messages are delivered.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I've actually just been reminded of the text of our statement at the universal periodic review, when, as I said earlier, we called for the repeal of the national security law. We also asked that they discontinue all cases against individuals charged for exercising their human rights and freedoms.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  To be absolutely 100% clear, we have not specifically requested the release of Jimmy Lai. However, we have expressed serious concerns about the trial of Jimmy Lai. We continue to work with the U.K. government and others to ensure that we are maintaining a consistent advocacy approach around Mr.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  The PRC government is well aware of Canada's overall concerns around political developments in Hong Kong, but on this issue specifically, they have not raised it with us.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you. Again, Canada's position on Jimmy Lai is very well-known to the Hong Kong authorities, and so forth. There was a unanimous consent motion in Parliament in December about the case of Jimmy Lai. It is my understanding that Minister Joly also voted in favour of that motion, given that it was unanimous.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I would say, again, that the PRC government and the Hong Kong authorities are aware of the unanimous consent motion approved in Parliament, which also included, of course, votes by our Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I would welcome any individual cases being brought to our attention here. We are also actively engaged with stakeholders, so any cases can also be brought forward through those channels.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Yes, I will commit to doing so.