The Prime Minister blasted China’s refusal to free two Canadian nationals, which some see as a response to the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou. Meng’s extradition to the US is now being decided in Canadian courts.
Western Nations must not “continue to allow” China’s “aggression,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during a press conference on Tuesday, as Canada continued to fight for the release of two Canadian nationals detained in China.
“China is making stronger moves than it has before to try and get its own way on the world stage,” Trudeau said during a presser in Quebec. “Western countries and democracies around the world are pulling together to point out that this is not something we need to continue to allow.”
Canada’s Global News website points out it is unclear how Trudeau intends to counter the alleged “aggression.”
Two Canadian nationals, Michael Kovrig, and Michael Spravor were arrested in China last December on charges of obtaining secret state data on behalf of foreign actors. The arrests came shortly after China’s Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada on Washington’s request, allegedly for violations of anti-Iranian sanctions. The US demands Meng’s extradition, but her lawyers are fighting the request in Canadian courts.
Kovrig, a diplomat on leave, and Spravor, an entrepreneur, have only been allowed limited consular visits following their arrests.
A Canadian parliamentary delegation led by Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland’s parliamentary secretary Rob Oliphant is currently in China working on the two nationals’ release, Global News report says. Canada says the arrests were “illegal and arbitrary.”
“Parliamentary Secretary Rob Oliphant […] has raised Canada’s strong concerns regarding the arbitrary detention of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor during his meetings with Chinese government officials,” Adam Austen, Freeland’s press secretary, wrote in an email to Global News.
The US Administration has banned Huawei from the US nascent 5G telecom market, saying Chinese manufacturers could design the entire network to be exploited for electronic surveillance on behalf of the Chinese government. The US, whose companies also develop 5G systems, now seeks to force its allies, including the EU and Israel, to abandon Chinese contractors as well.
