Trudeau holds ground that China made ‘obvious link’ between Meng and two Michaels

OTTAWA — The prime minister is standing his ground after China issued a warning Monday about his remarks calling the detention of two Canadians in Beijing since December 2018 “arbitrary.”

Justin Trudeau said Chinese officials it made clear in the days following their arrests of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor that their imprisonments were linked with Canada’s detaining high-tech scion Meng Wanzhou days earlier.

He was rebutting a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry who said earlier in the day that his country does not arbitrarily detain people, and that Trudeau’s earlier remarks linking the cases were “irresponsible.”

Trudeau doubled down, saying Chinese officials highlighted an “obvious link” between the arrests of the two Canadians and the RCMP’s arrest of Meng at the Vancouver airport in response to an extradition request from the United States. Meng was arrested on Dec. 1, 2018 and Kovrig and Spavor were arrested nine days later.

“They made those links from the very beginning, and continue to put political pressure on Canada through that detention,” Trudeau said Monday.

“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.”

RELATED: Two Canadians imprisoned in China since 2018 charged with spying

Trudeau thanked allies, including the U.S., who have criticized China for “using arbitrary detentions as a means to political ends.”

He said Canada and its allies “around the world” remain united against this Chinese practice.

Trudeau also once again rejecting the idea of a prisoner swap, which is still being pushed by some former high-ranking Liberals from the Jean Chrétien era.

“No. We’re not considering that,” Trudeau said of a proposed swap. “Canada has a strong and independent judicial system. We will ensure it goes through its proper forces. And 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.”

I will note the Prime Minister first rejected the idea of a prisoner exchange back in January.
Since charges have now been laid the question has popped up again, and @JustinTrudeau is not wavering from his stance on a prisoner swap #cdnpoli

— Cormac Mac Sweeney (@cmaconthehill) June 22, 2020

Earlier Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on China to release the Canadians, saying they face “groundless” charges of spying.

Chinese authorities announced the charges against Kovrig and Spavor on Friday, after the two had spent more than 550 days in prison without access to lawyers or family.

Since January, China has prevented Canadian diplomats from visiting Kovrig and Spavor, citing COVID-19 restrictions.

Pompeo said the U.S. is deeply concerned by China’s decision to formally charge Kovrig and Spavor.

“These charges are politically motivated and completely groundless. The United States stands with Canada in calling on Beijing for the immediate release of the two men and rejects the use of these unjustified detentions to coerce Canada,” Pompeo said in a statement on Monday.

“Additionally, we echo Canada’s call for immediate consular access to its two citizens, in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, as China has prohibited such access for almost six months, and the world has no knowledge of the two Canadians’ condition.”

Meng, the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies, is living in luxury Vancouver home while her extradition hearing wends its way through a British Columbia court.

The United States wants to prosecute Meng for fraud, alleging she lied to banks in Hong Kong about her company’s connections with Iran, which could possibly violate U.S. sanctions.

Last month, the B.C. Supreme Court judge ruled the allegations against Meng could constitute a crime in Canada. That meant Meng’s case remains before the court, unresolved.

Last week, Meng’s lawyers accused the Americans of misleading the B.C. court and said they are seeking a stay in the proceedings.