Scheer demands Trudeau intervene with detainees
Chinese spokesperson calls arrest of Meng ‘a wrong move’
OTTAWA — In the wake of Canada’s arrest of Meng Wanzhou, a high-profile Chinese business executive wanted by the U.S, China’s foreign ministry says it has detained two Canadians “on suspicion of engaging in activities that harm China’s state security.”
Both men were arrested two days after China threatened Canada with “grave consequences” if Meng — the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies Inc. who is sought by the U.S. on allegations of fraud and bypassing Iran sanctions — was not immediately released, but a day before she made bail.
The turn of events prompted Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer to demand Prime Minister Justin Trudeau intervene with Chinese President Xi Jinping on behalf of the Canadians detained in China.
Without discussing whether the arrests were retaliatory in nature, a Chinese government spokesperson, Lu Chang, repeated China’s demand Thursday from Beijing. “On the case of Meng Wanzhou which is a wrong move made by the Canadian side, we ask the Canadian side to immediately correct its mistake and release Ms. Meng Wanzhou. As for the cases involving two Canadian citizens, I have already told you that China’s state security authorities have taken compulsory measures in accordance with law.”
A B.C. judge ordered Tuesday that Meng would be allowed to leave prison on strict bail conditions, including a $10million guarantee she would remain in Vancouver while the U.S. pursues its extradition case against her.
Lu, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, said that on Dec. 10, Michael Kovrig was arrested in Beijing and, separately, Michael Spavor was detained in Dandong City near the China-North Korea border.
Kovrig is a former Canadian diplomat on leave to work for International Crisis Group doing research and analysis on China, North Korea and northeast Asia generally.
Spavor is an entrepreneur who runs a China-based company that organizes sport and cultural trips into North Korea, and was a fixer for former NBA superstar Dennis Rodham’s trip to meet North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
Lu dodged direct questions about whether their arrests were in retaliation for Meng’s arrest, whether the two men were connected to each other, or whether the so-called allegations of harming Chinese national security had anything to do with their work in North Korea.
But an editor of Global Times, an English-language tabloid that has close ties to the Chinese government, posted a video Thursday saying “China will take revenge” if Canada does not free Meng.
Scheer on Thursday cited reports in Chinese media that the men’s plight was linked to the Meng arrest, and laid much of the blame at the feet of Canada’s Liberal government, saying Trudeau has pursued a “policy of appeasement” that has reduced Canada’s leverage with China.
He urged Trudeau to pick up the phone and call president Xi, saying it’s time to elevate the issue to the very top levels of the Chinese government.
“We need to make sure we unequivocally denounce any type of repercussions to Canadians on foreign soil in China as a result of the actions of independent police agencies here,” said Scheer.
“That message has to be sent loudly and clearly by this government to the government of China. And I believe that this situation demonstrates that Justin Trudeau’s naïve approach to relations with China isn’t working.”
Scheer, who told the Star he has never himself travelled to mainland China only to Taiwan, said it is time for Canada to stop making “concessions” to China. .