Canada risks being outplayed in feud over citizens jailed in China
For more than 560 days, comforted only by a small collection of books and meals of boiled rice in Chinese jail cells, two Canadians have become the centre of a prolonged feud that has pitted the two countries – exercising starkly different concepts of justice – against each other. With the crisis deepening, former diplomats, activists and family members have questioned Canada’s tactics in trying to free the two men, which they say have produced little success – and come at a high cost.
On Friday, China formally charged Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael
Spavor with espionage, a move quickly condemned by a number of countries, including the United States. The two men have faced sustained interrogation, isolation and little access to consular assistance.
Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, said on Monday there were clear links between the jailed Canadians and an ongoing extradition case to the US against Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s chief financial officer, who recently lost her bid to have the proceedings quashed.
“It has been obvious from the beginning that this was a political decision made by the Chinese government and we deplore it and have from the very beginning,” Trudeau told reporters.
“This using of arbitrary detention as a means to advance political gains is something that is fully unacceptable in a world based on rules.”
One Canadian official told the Guardian they were disappointed by the Chinese decision, but had anticipated the
escalation.
However, the silence on next steps in how to resolve the crisis – compounded by what critics said is a muddled foreign policy approach – has cast the country into a fierce debate over how to secure the release of Kovrig and Spavor.
A number of former high-ranking officials have been pushing for a prisoner swap – an idea firmly rejected by Trudeau.
“Anyone who’s considering weakening our values or weakening the independence of our justice systems doesn’t understand the importance of standing strong on our principles and our values,” he said.
Letters sent from Kovrig to his wife, Vina Nadjibulla, underscore the urgency of the situation. He describes a life of isolation in his concrete cell, broken up by relentless interrogation and bland meals.
In an interview with the Globe and Mail, Nadjibulla said Kovrig “is in a fight for his life” and called on the minister of justice to intervene.
Further complicating matters is the fact that while Kovrig and Spavor spend days in heavily regimented isolation, Meng is free on bail in Vancouver, spending time between two multimillion dollar homes. In a note commemorating the anniversary of her arrest, she wrote to supporters that she could finally spend more time reading and oil painting.
Officials in Beijing are “mirroring” the ongoing extradition of Meng, and the latest escalation reflects Meng’s recent court loss, said David Mulroney, who previously served as Canada’s ambassador to China.
While calls to strike a deal are tempting, especially with China’s willingness to target Canadian industry, Mulroney feels the costs are too high – and would legitimise “hostage diplomacy”.
“We could release Meng – but it wouldn’t be the right thing to do. It would compromise the integrity of both our democracy and our justice system,” said Mulroney. “Our values – and our autonomy – needs to count for something,” he said. “What’s the price of that?”
Instead, he suggested Canada rethink its diplomatic and economic relationship to China – one that reflects the reality that Beijing has taken two Canadians as pawns in a larger fight.
While Canada spent years trying to court the world’s most populous nation for a free trade deal, the public has soured on China in recent months. With relations worsening, a growing number of prominent voices believe Canada should increase pressure on China.
“China won’t act in a rational manner on this. To them, Canada is a minor country. They want to punish us to show to the others that if you don’t do China’s bidding, you are going to pay a price,” said Guy Saint-Jacques, Canada’s former ambassador to China, calling on Ottawa to end its “appeasement” of Beijing. “We need to tell them we will begin taking our own measures. The time for us taking everything lying down is over.”
Saint-Jacques has called on the government to shift its trade priorities to other countries and to scrutinise any Chinese interference in Canada, expelling diplomats or anyone engaging in industrial espionage.
On Monday, the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, called for the release of the two Canadians, decrying the “politically motivated and completely groundless” charges. While the language represents a sharp escalation of American rhetoric, there is scepticism that the US — once Canada’s strongest ally — can be relied on to maximise pressure on China.
“The reality is that Donald Trump does not want to help Justin Trudeau. I don’t think we can expect anything from him,” said Saint-Jacques, adding the American president had ample opportunity to pressure China to release the two men when he negotiated a trade deal.
In the interim, a message of strength would send a clear signal to Beijing, said one activist.
“We have to elevate our voices and to show the Chinese government that we are not going to compromise. That’s the only way forward, because the communist party acts like a bully when it sees that you’re willing to compromise,” said Anastasia Lin, a Canadian model and actress, whose outspoken criticism of China’s human rights abuses have led to her being barred from entering the country.
She suggested rethinking the allocation of raw material exports to China – lumber, grain and metals – as well as capitalising on the large number of Chinese students in Canada who require visas.
But retaliating against China is fraught and likely to backfire, said Mulroney – highlighting Canada’s difficult predicament.
“Picking a fight with China is like picking a fight with someone in a bar who is missing a few teeth, cauliflower ears – and is ready to go,” he said. “China can take far more pressure than we can – and is also prepared to inflict more pain.”