OTTAWA -- China鈥檚 Ambassador to Canada Cong Peiwu is denying that his country is engaged in 鈥渃oercive diplomacy鈥� as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has suggested, but says that releasing Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou would 鈥渟imply鈥� help bilateral relations.
鈥淭here is no coercive diplomacy on the Chinese side,鈥� Cong said Thursday, responding to a comment Trudeau made earlier this week.
"We will remain absolutely committed to working with our allies to ensure that China's approach of coercive diplomacy, its arbitrary detention of two Canadian citizens, alongside other citizens of other countries around the world, is not viewed as a successful tactic by them," Trudeau said on Tuesday.
During a press conference reflecting on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Canada, Cong continuously denied that the detention of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor in China was at all related to Canada鈥檚 arrest of Meng.
Canada has called the two Michaels鈥� detention鈥攚hich came just days following Meng鈥檚 arrest鈥� 鈥渁rbitrary鈥� but from China鈥檚 perspective the arbitrary detention was that of Meng.
Cong said the two cases are 鈥渘ot related,鈥� and urged Canada to 鈥渕ake the right decision鈥� quickly and it would bring Canada-China relations back on good footing.
Cong told reporters that over the last 50 years Canada and China have made 鈥済reat progress鈥� but that right now the two countries are experiencing 鈥渟evere difficulties.鈥�
The tensions between the two countries have been continuously expressed in the nearly two years it鈥檚 now been since Meng was put into custody. She remains on house arrest in Vancouver, where she is waiting for her case to proceed through the court system.
The ambassador said Thursday that the U.S. has acted 鈥渓ike a troublemaker,鈥� and Canada 鈥渟erved as an accomplice鈥� in the arrest of Meng. Questions around whether Canada was right to have acted on the December 2018 U.S. extradition request have been raised since it happened.
Last week, in an interview on CTV鈥檚 Question Period, former White House national security adviser John Bolton said it was 鈥渢rue鈥� that U.S. President Donald Trump viewed Canada as a political pawn in trade dealings with China.
Canadian officials have continually justified the decision as one based in an obligation to uphold the rule of law and bilateral agreements.
Though, Canada has stated that China has not obeyed the same obligations of upholding conventions that include allowing regular consular access to Canadians detained in China.
Asked why Kovrig and Spavor were not granted any consular visits or access until this past weekend when Dominic Barton, Canada's ambassador to China was allowed to hold virtual visits with both men, Cong referenced the fact that they have been accused of conducing acts endangering Chinese national security, and cited the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for their access to the outside world being cut off even further than it was already.
The pandemic is a justification Canadian politicians don鈥檛 buy, but nevertheless Cong restated that 鈥渢he only reason that the consular access had been suspended for a while was because of the raging COVID-19.鈥�
鈥淲e are doing what we can within our legal system to ensure their lawful rights. So, we have been honouring the Vienna Convention, and the relevant bilateral agreements between China and Canada,鈥� Cong said.
He was unable to provide any additional details or evidence to substantiate China鈥檚 charges against the two men, but said the legal process would unfold in due course.
Reflecting on the conditions that the two Michaels have now been in for more than 650 days, Jon Dunbar鈥攁 friend of Spavor鈥攕aid that if anyone could survive in detention, it鈥檚 his friend.
鈥淚've been willing to bet he's getting pretty good at speaking Chinese, and probably any Chinese guards that he interacts with like him. He's just that kind of guy,鈥� Dunbar said in an interview with 麻豆影视.
He has been sending his friend books, which he is hopeful have actually gotten into his hands.
Friends with Spavor since 2006, Dunbar said Spavor has requested 鈥渆scapist鈥� fiction books and books so he could practice his Korean language skills.
鈥淚 can't imagine what that does to your, you know, your outlook on life and your personality to be in that condition for almost two years,鈥� he said.
Former Canadian ambassador to China Guy Saint-Jacques agrees with Trudeau that what China is engaging in, is coercive diplomacy and is putting 鈥渁ll kinds of pressure鈥� on Canada to agree to their request of Meng鈥檚 release.
He said the only short-term hope for a change is if there is a change in the U.S. presidency after Nov. 3 and Joe Biden would take a different approach in dealing with China, potentially abandoning the case against Meng, though the likelihood of that is uncertain.
鈥淥therwise, we have to assume that the extradition process of businessman will drag on for many years. And that means that at some point the Chinese will decide to start the trial of our Canadians鈥� Unless there is a miracle鈥攁nd I don鈥檛 know what it could be at this stage鈥擨 think we have to brace ourselves for years of difficult relations and for them to be held in difficult conditions, unfortunately for many years.鈥�
With files from 麻豆影视鈥� Ottawa Bureau Chief Joyce Napier and The Canadian Press
