This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Canada and China on October 13, 1970. With no news to report on the warm affinity between China and Canada to celebrate this anniversary, diplomatic relations between the two countries have fallen to a historic low. Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau spoke yesterday about the diplomatic relationship, pointing the finger at the Chinese government’s history of behavior, criticizing China’s “coercive diplomacy.
According to AFP, Trudeau warned that coercive diplomacy is counterproductive on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Canada and China. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned China that “coercive diplomacy,” repressive measures in Hong Kong and the detention of Uighur Muslims are counterproductive for China itself and for the rest of the world, according to the news agency.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Canada and China on October 13, 1970. Trudeau spoke about the diplomatic relationship, pointing to the Chinese government’s history of behavior. In a press conference, Trudeau said, “We remain fully committed to working with our allies to ensure that China’s methods of coercive diplomacy and arbitrary detention of two Canadian citizens and citizens of other countries do not become what they see as successful tactics.”
Trudeau also referred to Canada’s “concern for the safeguarding of human rights, as well as places like Hong Kong and…the Uighurs.” According to Trudeau, Canada will “continue to work with like-minded countries around the world to impress upon China that what China is doing in domestic and global affairs is not a particularly productive path for China itself or for any of us.
Former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor were arrested in China in December 2018 and both have been indicted on intelligence spying charges. Canada’s foreign ministry said on October 10 that the Canadian ambassador to China made a “virtual” consular visit to Kang and Spavor last weekend.
AFP says Western governments generally believe that China detained the two Canadians in retaliation for Canada’s arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies. Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou in transit through Vancouver airport in December 2018 at the request of the U.S., which accused her of involvement in defrauding banks and putting them at risk of violating U.S. sanctions against Iran. The U.S. has sought Meng’s extradition to the U.S. for trial, and Meng is still fighting her extradition to the U.S. in a Canadian court.
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