There were "gross difficulties" that is affecting the bilateral ties between China and Canada, said the Chinese embassy in Canada on Thursday. The embassy in its statement also demanded that Huawei Technologies Co Ltd Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou be immediately freed from detention.
Meng has been in Canadian detention since December last year after she was arrested by Canadian authorities at the behest of the United States. She is the daughter of the founder of Huawie and currently is fighting a case of extradition to the US.
Ever since the detention of Meng last year, the bilateral relations between the two countries have been strained. As a retaliatory measure, two Canadian citizens were charged with spying by China. The second largest economy of the world had also halted imports of canola seed and meat products from Canada as another retaliatory measure to the Meng detention.
The Canadian government did not have any plans or intention to back down and that the government would also defend the interests of Canada, country’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had said on Wednesday.
China would also always defend its interests, the embassy told Reuters in a response to Trudeau's speech.
"China adheres to the principle of equality between all countries, no matter big or small. ... China-Canada relations now suffer gross difficulties and the Canadian side knows very well the root cause," the embassy said in an email. "Canada should release Ms. Meng Wanzhou immediately and ensure her safe return to China, and bring bilateral relations back onto the right track," the embassy said.
Trudeau and Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland met U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Ottawa for talks on Thursday. American officials were working to free the two Canadian men. Pompeo assured Trudeau.
"Please do note that our team is focused on helping those two Canadians be released," Pompeo said. "It's wrong that they are being held."
(Source:www.usnews.com)
Meng has been in Canadian detention since December last year after she was arrested by Canadian authorities at the behest of the United States. She is the daughter of the founder of Huawie and currently is fighting a case of extradition to the US.
Ever since the detention of Meng last year, the bilateral relations between the two countries have been strained. As a retaliatory measure, two Canadian citizens were charged with spying by China. The second largest economy of the world had also halted imports of canola seed and meat products from Canada as another retaliatory measure to the Meng detention.
The Canadian government did not have any plans or intention to back down and that the government would also defend the interests of Canada, country’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had said on Wednesday.
China would also always defend its interests, the embassy told Reuters in a response to Trudeau's speech.
"China adheres to the principle of equality between all countries, no matter big or small. ... China-Canada relations now suffer gross difficulties and the Canadian side knows very well the root cause," the embassy said in an email. "Canada should release Ms. Meng Wanzhou immediately and ensure her safe return to China, and bring bilateral relations back onto the right track," the embassy said.
Trudeau and Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland met U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Ottawa for talks on Thursday. American officials were working to free the two Canadian men. Pompeo assured Trudeau.
"Please do note that our team is focused on helping those two Canadians be released," Pompeo said. "It's wrong that they are being held."
(Source:www.usnews.com)