Canada on Friday moved away from diplomatic caution and made its first formal demand for China to immediately release two Canadians who have been detained in apparent retaliation for Canada’s arrest of a top Chinese tech executive.
The US, the UK and the EU also issued statements in support of Canada.
“We are deeply concerned by the arbitrary detention by Chinese authorities of two Canadians earlier this month and call for their immediate release,” Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland said.
Photo: AFP
China’s ambassador to Canada was called on Friday and told of Ottawa’s demand, a senior Canadian government official said.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they lack authorization to discuss the call publicly.
Huawei Technologies Co (華為) chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou (孟晚舟) was arrested in Vancouver on Dec. 1 at the request of the US, which wants her extradited to face charges that she and her company misled banks about the company’s business dealings in Iran.
Nine days later, the Chinese detained Canadian ex-diplomat Michael Kovrig and Canadian entrepreneur Michael Spavor on vague allegations of “engaging in activities that endanger the national security” of China.
Freeland’s declaration marked a harder tone from Canadian officials.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had been criticized by the opposition for what they called unacceptable reticence over his suggestion on Wednesday that raising demands for their release would be akin to “to stomping on the table” without achieving their release.
Freeland said that Canada is honoring its extradition treaty with the US and is conducting a fair and transparent legal proceeding with respect to Meng.
US Department of State spokesman Robert Palladino said that Canada is honoring its extradition treaty commitments.
“We also express our deep concern for the Chinese government’s detention of two Canadians earlier this month and call for their immediate release,” Palladino said.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also called for their release last week.
British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Jeremy Hunt said in a statement that the UK is confident that Canada is respecting its extradition treaty with the US and said he is “deeply concerned” that China might have detained the two Canadians for political reasons.
The EU issued a statement saying: “The declared motive for the arrest and detention of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, both Canadian nationals, raises concerns about legitimate research and business practices in China.”
Freeland thanked allies for speaking out and said that Canada would not compromise or politicize the rule of law.
The show of support from allies is significant for Canada, which has felt relatively isolated in the past few months, particularly following US President Donald Trump’s criticism of Trudeau and his lack of public support.
NO-LIMITS PARTNERSHIP: ‘The bottom line’ is that if the US were to have a conflict with China or Russia it would likely open up a second front with the other, a US senator said Beijing and Moscow could cooperate in a conflict over Taiwan, the top US intelligence chief told the US Senate this week. “We see China and Russia, for the first time, exercising together in relation to Taiwan and recognizing that this is a place where China definitely wants Russia to be working with them, and we see no reason why they wouldn’t,” US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told a US Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing on Thursday. US Senator Mike Rounds asked Haines about such a potential scenario. He also asked US Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse
STUMPED: KMT and TPP lawmakers approved a resolution to suspend the rate hike, which the government said was unavoidable in view of rising global energy costs The Ministry of Economic Affairs yesterday said it has a mandate to raise electricity prices as planned after the legislature passed a non-binding resolution along partisan lines to freeze rates. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers proposed the resolution to suspend the price hike, which passed by a 59-50 vote. The Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) voted with the KMT. Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) of the KMT said the resolution is a mandate for the “immediate suspension of electricity price hikes” and for the Executive Yuan to review its energy policy and propose supplementary measures. A government-organized electricity price evaluation board in March
NOVEL METHODS: The PLA has adopted new approaches and recently conducted three combat readiness drills at night which included aircraft and ships, an official said Taiwan is monitoring China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) exercises for changes in their size or pattern as the nation prepares for president-elect William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration on May 20, National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) said yesterday. Tsai made the comment at a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, in response to Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Ting-yu’s (王定宇) questions. China continues to employ a carrot-and-stick approach, in which it applies pressure with “gray zone” tactics, while attempting to entice Taiwanese with perks, Tsai said. These actions aim to help Beijing look like it has
China is mischaracterizing UN Resolution 2758 for its own interests by conflating it with its “one China” principle, US Deputy Assistant Secretary for China and Taiwan Mark Lambert said on Monday. Speaking at a seminar held by the German Marshall Fund, Lambert called for support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the international community at a time when China is increasingly misusing Resolution 2758. The resolution had a clear impact when it changed who occupied the China seat at the UN, Lambert said. “Today, however, the PRC [People’s Republic of China] increasingly mischaracterizes and misuses Resolution 2758 to serve its own interests,” Lambert said. “Beijing