China’s ambassador to Canada dismissed the pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong as thugs and warned Canada against granting them political asylum, saying it would constitute interference in China’s internal affairs. Canada dismissed the Chinese ambassador’s remarks as “totally unacceptable.
At a press conference on October 15, Chinese Ambassador to Canada Cong Peiwu said, “If the Canadian side really cares about the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong, the health and safety of the 300,000 Canadian passport holders in Hong Kong and the interests of the large number of Canadian companies operating in Hong Kong, it should support efforts to combat violent crime.
Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne then criticized Cong Peiwu’s statement as “totally unacceptable and disturbing. In a statement released by the Canadian Press, he said, “I have instructed Global Affairs to summon the Chinese ambassador to say in clear terms that Canada will always defend the human rights and rights of Canadians around the world.
Chinese Ambassador Cong Peiwu also argued Thursday that the Hong Kong issue and issues related to Xinjiang are not human rights issues, but are purely China’s internal affairs and do not allow outside interference.
Protests against the pro-Beijing and Chinese governments in Hong Kong last year lasted for many months, and Beijing enforced a new “National Security Law” in Hong Kong starting on the night of June 30 this year. The “Hong Kong version of the National Security Law” severely punishes separatist movements, acts of subversion or terrorism, and what Beijing perceives as collusion with foreign powers to interfere in Hong Kong’s affairs.
Western countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, have strongly condemned the “Hong Kong version of the National Security Law,” accusing China of infringing on Hong Kong’s freedoms.
According to the Associated Press, Charlene Wang, executive director of the Canadian Coalition for Hong Kong, said in a statement that the Chinese ambassador’s comments from Peiwu were a “direct threat” to all Canadians.
She said many Hong Kong people seek asylum in Canada because of Beijing’s actions in Hong Kong, where they feel they are no longer safe or that their human rights will not be protected under the “National Security Law.
Chinese Ambassador Cong Peiwu also rebutted Prime Minister Trudeau’s comments Thursday, saying that China does not have “coercive diplomacy. Earlier, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau strongly criticized Beijing’s “coercive diplomacy” and arbitrary detention of two Canadian citizens at a press conference on October 13, the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Canada and China. Trudeau also criticized Beijing’s crackdown on Hong Kong people and Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang.
Canadian law enforcement authorities, at the request of the United States, arrested Meng Wanzhou, a Huawei executive and daughter of Ren Zhengfei, at the Vancouver airport on December 1, 2018, and initiated judicial proceedings to extradite Meng to the United States. The United States charged Meng Wanzhou with bank fraud.
Subsequently, on December 10, China arrested former Canadian diplomat Kang Mingkai and businessman Spavor, accusing them of “espionage. The case against Mingkai Kang and Spavor was referred to the courts for prosecution in June this year.
Canada’s foreign ministry said on Oct. 10 that its ambassador to China was allowed to visit Mingkai and Spavor by video over the weekend.
Beijing’s capture of Kang and Spavor is widely seen as “hostage diplomacy” to pressure Canada to release Meng Wanzhou. China has repeatedly urged Canada to release Meng, while denying the “hostage diplomacy” claim.
After Meng’s arrest by Canada, Canada-China relations hit a low point. Beijing retaliated against Canada by sentencing two other Canadians to death in 2019 on drug smuggling charges. China has also banned imports of large quantities of Canadian agricultural products.
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