China Firmly Rejects Request for Release of Canadian Citizens

On Monday, China firmly rejected the request from Canada and the United States for the release of Canadian citizens detained in China, accusing Western countries of having a 'double standard' and discrimination. The news of the detention of these Canadians comes at a time when tensions have escalated over the arrest of Huawei's Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou in Canada due to allegations of violating sanctions against Iran. According to AFP, Hua Chunying, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, stated at a press conference that the Chinese side has serious objections to the statements made by Canada and the United States regarding this matter and is 'very dissatisfied' with these statements, categorically rejecting the release of these individuals. Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat and current advisor to the International Crisis Group, and Michael Spavor, a business consultant, were detained two weeks ago on charges of harming 'national security' in China. A third Canadian, Sarah McIvor, has been identified as allegedly working 'illegally' in China. The news of the detention of these Canadians emerged shortly after Meng Wanzhou, 46, Huawei's CFO and the daughter of the company's founder, was arrested in Vancouver, Canada, at the request of U.S. authorities about three weeks ago. The U.S. is seeking to prosecute Ms. Meng in the United States. Huawei is a producer of smartphones and communication network equipment. Ms. Meng's lawyer claims she is accused of lying to HSBC regarding the use of a shell company to trade with Iran in violation of sanctions against the country. In contrast, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that the U.S. and Canada have provided 'no evidence' of any violation of their laws by Ms. Meng. According to Canadian officials, the Chinese government has made no indication that the detention of the Canadians is related to Ms. Meng's case, but all reports suggest that this action was taken as retaliation by China. Canadian officials also seem to view it as retaliation, as Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland stated on Saturday that this action by China creates a 'worrying precedent.' The French government also expressed its concern regarding these detentions in China on Monday and called for fair treatment of Kovrig and Spavor. The UK, Germany, and the European Union have all issued statements expressing concern, stating that the 'stated motivation' by China for these detentions calls into question the legitimacy of investigations and business practices in China. However, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson dismissed these concerns on Monday, stating that it seems these countries have 'different human rights standards for citizens of different countries.'