It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that the tension between Canada and China is extremely high right now. Currently, two Canadians are being detained in China for “endangering national security.” These detentions were preceded by the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei, a Chinese technology company. As far as we know, there is no concrete connection between these events.
However, if there is a connection between the two events, it shows the Chinese government is using Canadian citizens as leverage to do their bidding—in this case, for Meng’s release. Should Canada move to release Meng, it would show the world that they will bend on their knees, and give in to external pressures. Canada must proceed with caution in dealing with this situation, and quite frankly their reputation for intimidation will be further forged through this event. Canada must not bend to China’s bullying, and continue with Meng’s trial.
The Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, fell victim to the National Security Law, legislation enacted by China in 2015. This legislation gives authorities the power to order national security reviews using very general specifications, allowing the Chinese government plenty of room to interpret them as they see fit. Under the law, Chinese authorities can keep detainees in custody for six months without formal charges being laid.
According to Reuters, Kovrig is being questioned three times a day, is forbidden from turning off the lights in his cell at night, and is allowed one consular visit per month.
The Chinese government has used Canadians as leverage against the Canadian government in the past. In 2014, a husband and wife were detained for undermining Chinese state security. Kevin and Julia Garratt were arrested by Chinese authorities after being accused of spying and stealing military secrets. Julia was released in February 2015, but Kevin was detained for almost two years before being released in September 2016.
This mess of a situation has many Canadians worried, as China is one of our largest trading partners, second only to our neighbour to the South. To solve this, Canada should continue peaceful negotiations, without retaliation and not give the Chinese government any reason to harm or charge the Canadians. The same can be said about the Canadian hearing for Meng Wanzhou, in both countries, the rule of law is present, and should be allowed to run its course.
The Canadian government has accused China of holding them without cause, but have yet to make any move for their release. In the meantime, the two men are at the mercy of the People’s Republic of China and all that entails. Historically, the Chinese government has used varying forms of torture to glean information from imprisoned suspects, their methods ranging from sleep deprivation to beatings.
This feels like a game of chicken with much more dire consequences; which country will give up before the relationship between the two completely falls apart? The trade partnership between China and Canada is vital to both Canada and China, without the financial support each gleans from the other, the consequences could be dire—and not just for Canada and China, but for all the other countries they are allied with.
