‘I’ll take no lessons from China’

OTTAWA (CP) — Foreign Affairs Minister FrancoisPhilippe Champagne is shooting back at China’s criticism of Canada’s efforts to build an international alliance to free Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor from prison.

“I’ll do what I think is in Canada’s best interest, trust me,” Champagne said in an interview with The Canadian Press this week.

“I’ll take no lessons from anyone, and certainly not from China when it comes to defending and standing up for values and principles and defending Canadian interests and defending Michael Kovrig and Spavor.”

Champagne has led Canadian efforts to create a coalition that includes dozens of countries pushing China to release the two men, whom they say are being arbitrarily and unjustly imprisoned.

Kovrig and Spavor were arrested Dec. 10, 2018 and eventually charged with violating China’s national security, which Canada and its allies reject as trumpedup charges.

They say China is retaliating for the RCMP’s arrest of Chinese high-tech executive Meng Wanzhou on an American extradition request to intercept her while travelling through Vancouver’s airport, nine days before Kovrig and Spavor were apprehended.

China has repeatedly called for Meng’s release and warned Canada against lobbying other countries for support in its quest to pressure Beijing to free the two Michaels.

Last week, China’s ambassador to Canada, Cong Peiwu, told The Canadian Press that Canada acted as a “disgraceful” accomplice to the United States in arresting Meng, and that her prosecution was an attempt to undermine her company, Huawei Technologies.

“China’s approach in the way it’s been conducting itself is not improving its relations with any country around the world and indeed, is harming its own interests,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday, noting the “two Michaels” are about to spend their third Christmas in Chinese prisons

“It is incredibly frustrating to me that the Chinese government continues to not understand that Canada is a country that respects the rule of law, and will continue to — that we are a country that rejects coercive diplomacy and arbitrary detention.” Trudeau gave no indication that the political logjam between China and Canada will be broken any time soon.