OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took aim at a claim made Wednesday by China鈥檚 ambassador to Canada that there is 鈥渘o connection鈥� between the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou and the detention of Canadians in China Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.
鈥淚t is obvious that the two Michaels were arrested on trumped-up national security charges, days after we fulfilled our extradition treaty responsibilities towards our ally, the United States,鈥� Trudeau told reporters during a press conference.
鈥淐hinese officials at the time were very clear that they absolutely were connected鈥� and nothing the ambassador can say now will dissuade me from understanding that that is indeed the case,鈥� the prime minister continued, responding to a comment made by Ambassador Cong Peiwu during a briefing with reporters earlier in the day.
鈥淭here's no connection between these cases,鈥� Cong stated, noting the charges of crimes against Chinese national security that the two Canadians are facing. In contrast, he said, what happened to Meng was a 鈥渟erious political incident created by the United States.鈥� The ambassador once again urged Canada to release Meng.
Kovrig and Spavor have now been held in China for more than 800 days, as the federal government鈥檚 push for their release continues, and Meng鈥檚 extradition hearing continues in Vancouver, where she has been living under house arrest.
'LIES OF THE CENTURY'
During the briefing, Cong also took aim at the House of Commons鈥� recent decision to label China鈥檚 treatment of the Uyghur Muslims a genocide, and to call on the federal government to formally adopt that position.
He called the allegations of genocide and forced labour in Xinjiang 鈥渢he lies of the century,鈥� and denied that there are any re-education camps or forced sterilization, all of which have been documented in reports gathered by journalists and international human rights advocates.
鈥淭he term of genocide is clearly defined in international laws, and it cannot be pinned to China,鈥� Cong said, suggesting certain Western countries were trying to 鈥渟mear鈥� China.
Cong said that MPs shouldn鈥檛 judge when they have not been to China, and said the Chinese government continues to 鈥渇irmly oppose鈥� any international interference in domestic affairs.
鈥淲e will take resolute measures to counter back to safeguard our national interests, and our sovereignty,鈥� Cong said.
The House of Commons vote passed despite the abstention from Trudeau and nearly all of the federal Liberal cabinet. Responding to the comments from the Chinese envoy, the prime minister said that his government will work with international allies to get clear answers about the 鈥渧ery credible reports of human rights abuses.鈥�
鈥淭his is something that is much better done on a multilateral basis. Over the past many years including a couple of occasions directly to Chinese leadership, we have expressed our deep concern for the situation facing the Uyghurs,鈥� Trudeau said.
