the Tension in the relationship between Canada is growing in strength. In the week, China announced that the two canadian citizens who have been detained since the end of last year, has now formally detained. It is about the former diplomat Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, a consultant who has worked with relations to north Korea.
Both are accused of stealing state secrets in order to share with a foreign power.
But most observers see their pre-trial detention as part of a larger game. Kovrig and Spavor was arrested just a few days after the chinese telekomjätten Huawei’s cfo Meng Wanzhou, who is also the daughter of Huawei’s founder, at the urging of the united states was arrested in Canada. Wanzhou was accused of having violated the US’s sanctions regime against Iran.
was converted in addition, the canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenbergs 15-year prison sentence for drug smuggling in China to the death sentence.
– There is hardly any doubt that the arrests of the two canadians, and the sentence is a retaliation against Canada for Meng Wanzhou arrested, said Lars Ellström, Kinavetare previously been the cultural attaché in Beijing, to the DN then.
the two canadians have now formally arrested increasing the probability that they will be prosecuted. The decision is strongly criticised in Canada. Unacceptable, said the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, and said that the decision is only political.
– The chinese government does not follow the same type of rules as the vast majority of democracies do, ” said Trudeau, according to the South China Morningpost.
the Criticism directed at the treatment of canadians. It is unclear where they are, they refused to meet with lawyers and family. Diplomats are allowed to visit them once a month.
Their plight stands in stark contrast to the Meng Wanzhous. She sits in house arrest in his spacious villa with six bedrooms in Vancouver. With a gps around the ankle, she can move freely in the city in anticipation of the decision whether she should be extradited to the united states.
the economic relationship between China and Canada. Then Meng Wanzhou detained, China has strangled the import of canola oil from Canada. Imports last year amounted to a value of around sek 25 billion. Other canadian companies have stated that they have been more difficult to operate in China.
As a cloud over the entire conflict hangs US all tougher against China and Huawei. In the week, president Donald Trump, under a decree that prohibits u.s. telecommunications companies to install equipment manufactured abroad, and that could risk national security. A measure which most interpreted as directed against Huawei.
at the same time the claim of China that the detention of Wangzhou is political and that Huawei only operate on a commercial basis.