A young B.C. woman whose parents are detained in China is urging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to help bring them home.
鈥淚 really hope that in your next several days in China, you will be able to get my parents home before you talk any free trade,鈥� 24-year-old Amy Chang told 麻豆影视 Channel on Sunday, making a direct appeal to the prime minister.
鈥淢y parents are trapped in a country for a trade dispute, and when you are wanting to create more business opportunities for Canadians abroad, you also have to be able to protect Canadians abroad.鈥�
The prime minster is currently in China for a four-day state visit. Canada and China, moreover, have recently been exploring the possibility of inking a free trade deal.
鈥淭oday, this is one case,鈥� Chang said. 鈥淭he moment you open this window of opportunities, you will have 10 cases, 20 cases -- so how can you help someone if you can鈥檛 even get my parents home?鈥�
Her parents, John Chang and Allison Lu, have been detained in China since March, 2016. The pair, who own wineries in Ontario and B.C., have been accused by Chinese authorities of under-reporting the value of wine they export to Asia. While Lu has been released from custody, she is unable to leave China. Chang remains in a detention facility and has only been able to speak to his daughter through a lawyer.
鈥淗is health is deteriorating pretty quickly,鈥� his daughter said. 鈥淗is weight has [fallen] significantly. He has two tumours in his liver and it needs the proper medical attention which he鈥檚 not receiving right now. So, both my mom and I are very, very worried for my father鈥檚 health.鈥�
Chang said she has visited Ottawa multiple times to seek help from senators and members of Parliament, but to little avail.
鈥淏oth my parents have been very, very strong contributors in the Canadian economy,鈥� Chang said. 鈥淢y father has been a big supporter of trade between Canada and China: he鈥檚 been on many trade delegations with the prime minister, he鈥檚 spoken at a lot of conferences on behalf of the embassies in China.鈥�
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, International Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said that he takes the case 鈥渧ery personally鈥� and has raised it with his Chinese counterpart 鈥� something that he plans to do again in Beijing on Monday.
鈥淲e have voiced very clearly to the Chinese leadership our dissatisfaction and our concern,鈥� Champagne said, according to The Canadian Press. 鈥淭his is a matter that should not have led to the type of actions that was taken."
For Chang, talk isn鈥檛 enough.
鈥淲hen something like this happens to him for a simple trade dispute, you would expect that the country would step in and help a family out and get their citizens back home,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 been 20 months and it鈥檚 been very, very difficult.鈥�
With files from The Canadian Press
