Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer laid out his vision for Canadian foreign policy in a speech in Montreal today, calling for a “total reset” in the country’s relationship with China amid recent tensions over trade and the December arrest of a Huawei executive.

Scheer’s speech, titled “A Stronger Canada in a Turbulent World,” called for Canada to bolster its international role in working with democratic and other like-minded countries, particularly in Europe and Asia, to counter a growing geopolitical threat from the Asian superpower.

He also labelled Russia a “serious threat,” saying the country has re-emerged with a “Cold War mentality” that threatens Canada’s Arctic waters. Scheer called for new actions against Iran and greater support for Ukraine and Israel, and boosting Canada’s military.

But Canada’s relationship with China was a key theme in his speech laying out what a Conservative government’s foreign policy would look like, and the Tory leader called the country the primary and strongest “propagator of authoritarian values.”

Scheer said any free trade deal is off the table unless the country embraces a “functioning rule of law system.” He would also pull federal funding for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and launch a complaint against China at the World Trade Organization.

He said for decades, Canadian foreign policy has looked to China as a way of diversifying its export markets, but now, “it has become clear that China’s adversarial approach to Canada and the western, democratic world has changed those expectations.”

He said Canada should now “engage in a way that recognizes how our values and our interests are in many respects wholly incompatible with those of China’s government.”

“So as long as China is willing to hold our exports hostage … we have no choice as Canadians but to consider other trade partners,” he said.

Canada’s diplomatic relationship with China has soured since the December 2018 arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, with possible extradition to the United States for fraud charges. Since then, China has restricted Canadian canola exports, detained two Canadians, and sentenced two other citizens to death for drug charges.

Scheer’s vision of policy with China is a stark contrast to the one laid out by the Liberals earlier on in its government, who sought to secure a free trade deal with the Asian economic giant.

Today’s speech is the first of a five-part series, which will also address the economy, immigration, federal-provincial relations, and environment and climate change.

Increase support for alliances

To counter China, Russia, and other countries such as Iran, Scheer envisions a “community of free democracies all over the world, in Europe, in the Indo-Pacific, and everywhere in between, united to resist the forces of authoritarianism, built through Canadian leadership.”

READ MORE: Justice Department to proceed with extradition of Meng Wanzhou

“We can play a vital leadership role in building the new international political infrastructure for the advancement of freedom in the 21st century,” he said. “Some politicians want Canada to be the referee, I want Canada to be the quarterback.”

The Conservative leader also said “like-minded democracies in the Indo-Pacific region,” which can be potential destinations for Canadian energy exports, “are ideal economic and political partners for Canada.”

Efforts would include increasing Canada’s role in existing alliances such as NORAD, NATO, the Commonwealth, and the Five Eyes security compact that includes the U.S, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

Notably, Scheer said “it will also include greater overtures to India and Japan.”

He also said he will ban “Chinese state-owned enterprises, solely focused on the political interests of Beijing, unfettered access to the Canadian market,” a likely reference to Chinese telecom company Huawei’s interest in building Canada’s 5G network.

He also harshly criticized the Trudeau’s government for taking “style over substance and ego over achievements” when it came to foreign policy, pointing to the prime minister’s infamous trip to India as an example.

He said the Liberal government was forced to accept a bad NAFTA deal and accused it of cosying up to China and lacking a plan on handling the ongoing Huawei dispute.

Scheer also said he would reject trade protectionism as skepticism over free trade from certain governments continues.

Support for Ukraine, Israel

Scheer also committed to renewing support for Ukraine that includes expanding upon current missions and providing the country with military equipment.

He listed the rise of China, Russia’s military aggression, and state-sponsored terrorism — namely from Iran — as some of Canada’s top threats to its prosperity and security.

He pledged to follow on the Trump administration’s move to list Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist entity. He said he would make “full use” of the Magnitsky Act to sanction Iran’s worst human rights offenders.

The Conservative leader also said he would re-open the Office of Religious Freedom and following on the U.S. in recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Canada had abstained on a United Nations vote condemning the White House’s decision last year, which Scheer criticized in his speech.

Boosting military and cyberwarfare tools

Scheer also said Canada must reinforce its standing as a maritime nation in order to counter Russia and China, which includes “improvements” to the federal government’s procurement management practices, which he described as “hyper-politicized.”

He also said he wants to increase Canada’s submarine capability and ensure Canada “provides a counterbalance to Russia and China’s burgeoning icebreaker fleets” in asserting Canada’s sovereignty in the Arctic.

Scheer is also committing to restarting talks with the U.S. on joining its ballistic missile defence program and making sure Canada’s new fighter jets “are interoperable with our American allies.”

As well, Scheer called for Canada to increase its cyberwarfare capacity by working with industry.