Adedokun Waliyu 
According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Investment Board called China a “good investment” despite ongoing allegations of foreign interference, an intimidation campaign against a member of Parliament, and many human rights atrocities.
“We are exceedingly cautious,” testified Michel Leduc, senior managing director with the Board, at a Commons special committee on Canada-China relations.
Though Chinese companies paid attractive dividends and bolstered Canadian access to the “world’s largest and fastest-growing economies,” he acknowledged the importance of human rights compliance when investing in companies.
“Human rights are increasingly an investment consideration,” Leduc told MPs. “It is how we see the world. We strongly believe any business, asset, or company that does not take human rights seriously will just not be around, so it is a destruction in value.”
He added the CPP Investment Board reviews “evolving geopolitical risks” and aims to conduct themselves as “principled and prudent investors” that act in the best interests of all parties involved.
“As a long-term investor, we actively engage and influence companies with human rights as a longstanding focus area. If that fails, we will exit or avoid investing in the first place.”
According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the CPP Investment Board has invested $539 billion globally — China accounts for 10% of those investments. Nearly half of all investment opportunities exist in the U.S. (35%) or Canada (14%).
Records submitted to the committee show the Board owns $4 million in shares in Longi Green Energy Technology Company Limited, the world’s largest manufacturer of solar panels. They also alleged the Chinese firm used Uyghur Muslim slave labour.
