Canada between US's Hammers and China's Anvil

By; Ahmed Yasser

CAIRO, Jan. 27 (SEE) –After his earlier comments on ''Meng Wanzhou'' drew calls for his firing, Canada’s ambassador to China is now arguing it would be great if the United States relinquishes its attempt to extradite Huawei’s chief financial officer. From Canada’s point of view, if the U.S.A drops the extradition request, that would be great for Canada,” John McCallum reported the Star on Friday.

Making things worse is Ottawa’s apparent cultural illiteracy when it comes to demanding respect from China. While respecting judicial independence and legal processes should remain a priority, we point to the political and diplomatic implications of this ongoing saga.

This tit-for-tat spat is a blemish on China-Canada relations and shows Canada playing a weak hand badly. It’s caught between two great powers and navigating these rough waters alone.

The Chinese may not look at Canada the same way again as an independent, safe haven considered a pillar of multiculturalism and quiet diplomacy. It may also do permanent damage to its relationship with China, Canada’s third-largest trading partner and worth over $1 billion in revenues from international students.

Roland Paris former senior adviser to Trudeau on global affairs, reported that Chinese should not be holding any Canadians for diplomatic leverage, if that’s indeed what they’re doing. And the United States should be backing Canada because we are paying a price for fulfilling the terms of our extradition treaty.

Former diplomat Michael Kovrig and entrepreneur Michael Spavor remain in custody at undisclosed locations in China. Kovrig is being kept in a continuously lit room and is being questioned several times daily by Chinese authorities, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG), Kovrig’s former employer.