MPs Urge Safeguards to Prevent Pension Investment in Chinese Companies Involved in Rights Abuse

Published on December 15, 2023

Canada lacks measures to prevent public pension funds from investing in companies in the People’s Republic of Chinese (PRC) allegedly involved in human rights violations, stated a recent report from a House of Commons committee that is calling for the implementation of protective measures. “There are currently no measures which prevent those pension funds from investing in companies in the PRC responsible for, or complicit in, human rights violations,” the Special Committee on the Canada–People’s Republic of China Relationship (CACN) stated in its Dec. 13 report. Major institutional investors overseeing public pension funds, like the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) and the Public Service Pension Plan Investment Board, operate independently from the government based on their own investment strategies. The CACN noted that in this capacity, these pension institutions may conduct due diligence in line with their respective investment policies before making decisions. While this may involve consideration for human rights matters, there is currently no mandatory requirement to do so....

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