The Liberal government has chosen diplomat Jennifer May as the new ambassador of Canada to China, a choice praised by experts who warned that she will face many "headwinds" challenges.
 

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said one of May's priorities for Canada's relationship with China would be human rights.
 

Explaining, as ambassador to China, Ms. May will lead Canada's important work in defending democratic values, human rights, and the rule of law.

Adding, her work will also be key to advancing Canadian priorities in Canada-China relations.

May said on social media that she was "deeply honored" to accept the new position. 

Meanwhile, Global Affairs Canada canceled an interview with the new ambassador.

May has been serving since 2019 as Canada's ambassador to Brazil.

Before that, she held positions in Germany, Thailand, Austria, and Hong Kong, in addition to her work at the headquarters of Global Affairs Canada (GAC) in Ottawa for many years.

She speaks Mandarin fluently, and this is not May's first experience working in China, where she spent four years in Beijing starting in 2000 working in the political section at the Canadian embassy, according to her LinkedIn profile.

It is worth mentioning that the position of Canadian ambassador to China has been vacant since the resignation of the former ambassador, Dominic Barton, in early December after just over two years in the role.

Barton helped negotiate the release of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig from Chinese prison, but he was criticized for his efforts to expand trade relations between China and Canada at the same time.

A senior government source explained that part of the reason for choosing May is her previous experience working in China and Brazil, as well as on Russian files while in Ottawa.

Explaining, this gives them greater insight into the thinking of emerging "BRIC" countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China).

Adding, "From the way we see it, two alliances are forming, the G7 and the BRIC."

 The source clarified that if you do not understand China's position on the global stage, you miss the critical context for advising the government.

Adding "The fact that her work in Brazil gives her a good advantage (for Canada)."

The source requested anonymity to speak freely about internal deliberations.

The new ambassador is assuming the position at a critical time for Canada-China relations, where diplomatic ties have been strained since Canadian police arrested Huawei CEO Meng Wanzhou at the US's request in 2018.

China then detained Spavor and Kovrig in what Canada described as retaliatory "hostage" diplomacy.

Global Affairs Canada is currently working on the country’s latest "Indo-Pacific Strategy," a pioneering upcoming policy strategy aimed at diversifying and enhancing Canadian diplomatic, trade, and military relations in Asia and the Pacific.

The new policy is widely seen as a way to reduce Canada’s economic and trade dependence on China and its increasingly assertive foreign policy.

Jonathan Miller, director of the Indo-Pacific program at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, said, "We've put a lot of our eggs in one basket."

He added that much of May’s new role will be "risk management" and dealing with many "challenges" that have already emerged between the two countries.

She should also ensure that the "risks" facing the private sector doing business in Canada are addressed, such as forced technology transfers and intellectual property theft by China.

Miller said, "She will face a lot of these headwinds."

Adding, "We've put a lot of eggs in one basket." Both Miller and former Canadian ambassador to China Guy Saint-Jacques agreed that May is a strong choice for the important role she is assigned, as did many other experts on social media.

However, they also agree that her job will be very difficult, due to China’s increasingly "aggressive" and "arrogant" foreign policy and because Canada is considered at best a middle player on the global stage.

Saint-Jacques said in an interview, "I hope she can restore a certain level of dialogue with China. But we cannot expect relations to return to what they were before Ms. Meng’s detention, because in the meantime we have learned a lot about China, how tough the place is, and how (President) Xi Jinping has taken strict measures."

On the other hand, David Mulroney, another former Canadian ambassador to China, tweeted saying, "Finally, an appointment that serves Canada and not an appointment that pleases China. I now give her a policy to work with."