Now is not the time for Trudeau to call Chinese president, says ambassador
OTTAWA — Diplomacy needs more time before the prime minister tries personally to settle the fight between Ottawa and Beijing that has left two Canadians detained in China and another facing the death penalty, Canada’s ambassador to China said Friday after appearing at a Commons committee.
“The prime minister calling the (Chinese) president is essentially the last arrow in our quiver,” McCallum said after testifying behind closed doors to the standing committee on foreign affairs and international trade. “I think other actions have to be taken first.”
The Opposition Conservatives have been insisting that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau call President Xi Jinping to resolve the diplomatic dispute that began with the arrest in Vancouver last month of a senior executive from Chinese tech giant Huawei.
China escalated tensions shortly after Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou’s arrest — which was carried out at the request of U.S. authorities who want her extradited to face fraud charges — by detaining Michael Kovrig, a Canadian diplomat on leave, and entrepreneur Michael Spavor on vague allegations of endangering China’s national security.