Global News
Date: May 10, 2020
By: Amanda Connolly, Global News

Conservative leadership candidate Erin O’Toole says while he would not walk away from longstanding policies acknowledging Chinese claims over Hong Kong and Taiwan, he would modify them.

In an interview with The West Block‘s Mercedes Stephenson, O’Toole was asked whether he would take a more forceful stand recognizing Hong Kong and Taiwan if he were to win the leadership race and be elected as prime minister.

He said the current approaches are not working.

“I would put caveats on the One China policy,” he said, adding that “the one country, two systems agreement for Hong Kong has not been fulfilled.”

O’Toole, who has long been vocal in calling for the government to take a more critical stance on China, has amplified those calls in recent months as Beijing has faced growing criticism for covering up early reports of the spread of the coronavirus in its country.

Scientists believe it jumped from animals to humans in late December at a wet market in the city of Wuhan, although American intelligence reports suggest early spread may have begun as early as the fall and been muzzled by Chinese officials.    [FULL  STORY]