A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry claimed that Canada is “naive” to rely on its allies in its current dispute over the internment of two Canadian citizens and the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou.
“We hope that the Canadian side will not be too naive. First, Canada shouldn’t naively think that gathering so-called allies to put pressure on China will work,” said spokesperson Geng Shuang.
“Second, the Canadian side should not naively believe that its so-called allies can really make concrete efforts for Canada’s interests. What they are doing at most is lip service, because after all it is a matter between China and Canada.”
In June, Trudeau met with President Donald Trump to discuss the Huawei extradition request and to ask him for his help to intervene in the situation.
The diplomatic relationship between China and Canada has frozen over, as the two countries are in an escalating trade war.
According to Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, Chinese officials have entirely stopped engaging with Canada on the file and refuse to take her phone calls. Freeland even went on the radio to publicly plea for Chinese diplomats to engage with her.
Both of the Canadians who are being held by the Chinese government, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, are facing espionage charges. The two Canadians have been periodically held in solitary confinement and most recently, Kovrig has had his eyeglasses confiscated by officials.
President Xi Jinping was also seen giving Prime Minister Justin Trudeau the cold shoulder at the latest G20 summit in Japan. While there, Trudeau, who was seated beside Jinping failed to even interact with his Chinese counterpart, however the two were seen talking briefly at the summit’s sidelines.
Despite the unsavory treatment by the Chinese, Liberal Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion Mary Ng recently tweeted a photograph of her and other government representatives enjoying ice cream on a recent diplomatic trip to the country.
Prime Minister Trudeau’s recent diplomatic pleas to the United States and his lackluster performance at the G20 summit has many Canadians wondering how he will fix this critical situation with China.
