Canada says 'eyes wide open' on ties with China

TORONTO • Canada's "eyes are wide open" when it comes to normalising its relationship with China, Foreign Minister Marc Garneau has said, days after the release of a top Huawei executive following almost three years of house arrest in Vancouver.

Mr Garneau told CBC News that the government is now following a fourfold approach to China: coexist, compete, cooperate and challenge.

He said Canada would compete with China on issues like trade and cooperate on climate change, while challenging it on its treatment of Uighurs, Tibetans and Hong Kong as Ottawa has done in the past.

"Let me say, our eyes are wide open. We have been saying that for some time. There was no path to a relationship with China as long as the two Michaels were being detained," Mr Garneau said on Sunday, referring to Mr Michael Kovrig and Mr Michael Spavor.

Huawei Technologies chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, flew back to China last Friday after reaching an agreement with US prosecutors to end a bank fraud case against her.

That resulted in the scrapping of her extradition battle in a Canadian court.

Soon after Ms Meng flew to China, Mr Kovrig and Mr Spavor - two Canadians detained by the Chinese authorities just days after Ms Meng's arrest in Vancouver in December 2018 on a US warrant - were released by Beijing.

Mr Spavor was accused of supplying photographs of military equipment to Mr Kovrig, and was sentenced in August to 11 years in jail.

Mr Kovrig had been awaiting sentencing.

China has always denied any link between Ms Meng's extradition case and the detention of the two Canadians, but Mr Garneau said that "the immediate return of the two Michaels linked" the matter to Ms Meng's case in a "very direct manner".

Mr Garneau said he had heard about the deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) several weeks ago, which opened the door to the return of the two men.

Canada's ambassador to the US Kirsten Hillman denied that Washington had made the release of Mr Kovrig and Mr Spavor a condition for the resolution of the charges against Ms Meng.

"Absolutely not. The DPA and the resolution of the charges against Ms Meng was a completely independent process, and it was proceeding as it did," Ms Hillman told Canadian broadcaster CTV.

Mr Garneau also said he did not think the timing of the men's return had anything to do with that of the federal election. "I think it just worked out that way."

Meanwhile, Chinese state media yesterday said the release of Ms Meng is an opportunity for a reboot of bilateral relations with the United States and Canada but "toxic political rhetoric" could still "poison" the atmosphere.

The Global Times tabloid, which is backed by the ruling Communist Party, said in an editorial that Ms Meng's return to China was a sign of easing bilateral economic and trade tensions, but accused "anti-China forces" of creating noise.

It cited US Senator Marco Rubio's criticism of her release as an example.

"Whether China-US and China-Canada relations can now take advantage of what is a clear opportunity for a reboot depends on the extent to which Washington and Ottawa are willing to heed the lessons of their rash ploy," said the state-backed China Daily newspaper in a separate editorial.

REUTERS