OTTAWA -- An internal Canadian government report says respect for human rights in China has declined over the past two years with crackdowns on media and political dissent being notable problems.
The candid assessment is detailed in the most recent human rights report on China, completed in January by Global Affairs Canada.
The report was obtained by The Canadian Press under Access to Information, and comes as Canada and China continue exploratory talks towards a possible free trade agreement.
Canada and China disagree over the role of human rights in any future trade deal; Canada says the issue is linked to economic engagement, while China says there is absolutely no connection.
In a recent interview, China's ambassador to Canada Lu Shaye blamed an ill-informed Canadian news media for forcing the issue onto the agenda for the Liberal government to confront.
But the government's internal rights assessment on China outlines specific concerns based on its own research and analysis.
