Agriculture trade and political detention escalate diplomatic tensions between China and Canada. Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, tells reporters his administration will not back down.
This past week, Trudeau directly addressed China’s extortion tactics regarding the detention, and now espionage charges facing two Canadians without benefit of legal representation, joint with China’s politically-motivated trade embargo of Canadian farm products.
On Wednesday, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry said that the situation for the two Canadians in detention could be resolved if Canada dropped a extradition proceeding against Meng Wanzhou. That is the first time that a senior Chinese official has admitted that China is holding the two Canadians hostage and would barter them for Meng’s release. In response, Trudeau fired back that China will not be allowed to intimidate Canada with political extortion or through heavy handed ag trade stoppages.
The Prime Minister states, “Chinese officials highlight that there is an obvious link between the case of Madam Meng in Vancouver being arrested on extradition and the detention of two Canadians on security charges. Canada will continue to stand strong, to support our farmers, to support our producers, while at the same time defending the interest of Canadians abroad and in detention in China.”
Trudeau went on to ask the question of how any country with democratic ideal can allow itself to be held hostage to either political or economic extortion tactics.