China’s relationship with Canada remains deadlocked as fate of detainees continues to cast a long shadow
- New Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne insists that the release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor is an ‘absolute priority’ for Ottawa
- However, Beijing shows no signs of changing its view that releasing Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou is a precondition for better relations
China and Canada appear no closer to resolving their difficulties despite the appointment of new ambassadors on both sides and a government reshuffle in Ottawa.
Relations have been frosty over the past 12 months following the arrest of senior Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver and the subsequent detention of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor in China.
Canada’s new foreign minister, François-Philippe Champagne, described the release of the two Canadians as an “absolute priority” when he met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at a G20 meeting in Japan over the weekend.
But one Chinese government adviser warned that there was no sign that Beijing would change its position that Meng’s release was a “precondition” for improved relations.
Meng, the tech giant’s chief financial officer, is fighting extradition to the United States, where she is wanted on fraud charges relating to alleged breaches of US sanctions on Iran.
Spavor and Kovrig were both detained just two weeks after the arrest of Meng, and are being held in an undisclosed location, accused by the Chinese authorities of stealing state secrets.