Canada blasted for meddling in China

CHINA denounced Canada’s meddling after Ottawa said it was suspending its extradition treaty with Hong Kong to protest a new national security law.

In a statement published on the website of the Chinese embassy in Ottawa, a spokesperson denounced on Saturday what he said were Canada’s “unwarranted comments” on the new law, saying Canadian leaders had “grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs.”

“Some Western countries including Canada have been meddling in Hong Kong affairs under the pretext of human rights, which seriously violates international law and basic norms of international relations,” the statement said, adding that such efforts were “doomed to fail.”

It said that the new law would “ensure social order ... and benefit Hong Kong citizens and international investors.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday that his country was “extremely concerned” about the situation in Hong Kong under the new law, and would examine measures to “ensure the safety of its citizens,” as well as of the 300,000 Canadians living there.

Canada also said it was suspending exports of sensitive military materials to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong officials said on Saturday they were “very disappointed” in Canada’s suspension of the extradition treaty. Chinese-Canadian relations have been strained since the arrest in Canada in December 2018 of Meng Wanzhou, an executive of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei, on an arrest warrant from the US.

(AFP)