CANADA ENVOY BRIEFS CHINA ON HUAWEI ARREST.
Canada’s envoy to Beijing briefs China on arrest of Huawei executive: Freeland
Canada’s ambassador in Beijing has briefed the Chinese foreign ministry on the arrest of a Chinese telecommunications executive in Vancouver, says Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Freeland said Friday that Ambassador John McCallum has assured the Chinese foreign ministry that due process is being followed in Canada and consular access will be provided. Freeland highlighted McCallum’s elevated diplomatic status as a former Liberal cabinet minister, and characterized the conversation as positive.
Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies, was arrested Saturday while in transit at Vancouver’s airport after an extradition request from the United States. China’s foreign ministry has pushed Canada to reveal the reason for the arrest and the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa has branded Meng’s arrest a serious violation of human rights.
“I have not spoken directly to Chinese officials but John McCallum, our ambassador to China our very senior ambassador to China - has spoken with Chinese officials,” Freeland said Friday in a teleconference from meetings in Berlin.
“And he has assured China that due process is absolutely being following in Canada and consular access for China to Ms. Meng will be provided, and that we are a rule-of-law country and we will be following our laws as we have thus far in this matter and as we will continue to do.” Freeland reiterated what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday: that Meng’s arrest was part of an independent legal process that is separate from politics.
She declined to comment on suggestions from analysts and former diplomats that China would likely retaliate by jailing Canadians working in their country.
“The importance of our relationship with China is one of the very good reasons that the prime minister named (McCallum) as our ambassador there. And the Chinese are well aware of John’s seniority,” she said.
“They have had a good conversation with John. John has been very clear with the Chinese authorities - as we are with Canadians - that this was a matter handled as a part of our rule-oflaw process; it was done without any engagement on involvement in the political level because we respect the independence of our judiciary.”
McCallum was clear that Chinese consular officials will have access to Meng “just as we seek consular access for detained Canadians around the world, including in China.”