Chinese media ask Canada to distance themselves from US "hegemony"
Official Chinese media today called on Canada to distance itself from US "hegemony" and to make "independent" and "civilized" decisions in the middle of the Beijing offensive to secure the release of Huawei's financial director, Meng Wanzhou, detained in Canada at the request of the USA.
"Canada has granted Meng bail, which is positive, but she deserves full liberation, Ottawa can end this crisis on its own right now," said a tough editorial published by the official newspaper Global Times.
The newspaper also stressed that Canada must act on Meng "based on its obligations to China," which must "prevail" over those it has with "third countries," in this case the United States.
"Canada knows that the US violates the spirit of international law by using national laws to extend its jurisdiction," the official newspaper said, calling on the former to act as "independent and sovereign" and not as a "vassal state."
According to the official Chinese media, Canada must "stop waiting for the orders of the United States" and "distance itself from its hegemony."
"We hope that Canada will make a decision in line with its reputation as an independent and civilized country," the newspaper said.
On the other hand, the newspaper avoided linking Meng's detention with the recent arrest in China of former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig, which occurred after the Chinese authorities threatened "serious consequences" if Meng was not released.
The Chinese chancellery justified yesterday the arrest of Kovrig and assured that the organization for which he works, the think tank International Crisis Group (ICG), "is not registered in China at this time".
The arrest of Kovrig today is joined by the announcement that a second Canadian citizen, Michael Spavor, is "disappeared" in China, according to Canadian authorities.
"There is nothing that evidences a connection between the detention of Meng and Kovrig, the assumption comes from the fact that Canada has gone too far, and people, naturally, think that China is going to take action," according to the newspaper.
For the official newspaper, the two cases are very different, and alleges that the Chinese citizen detained in Canada "has not violated any law" there, while Kovrig has been arrested for his "activities" on Chinese soil.
The US requested the extradition of Meng to face in that country the accusations of fraud for violating the sanctions imposed by Washington on Iran.
In that sense, the China Daily newspaper said today in an editorial that the US has "a well-prepared plan" to launch a campaign against Huawei "and other Chinese technology" in order to expel them from the US market.
"China is restraining itself in the Meng case so that it does not affect trade frictions with the United States, and is making every effort to relieve tensions," the paper said.
"It is time for China to prepare for the next US coup because the country is going to defend its red lines and its dignity," he said.
On Tuesday, Meng was granted a bail by a Canadian judge despite the Attorney General's fears that he would run away.
US authorities have 60 days since their arrest - on December 1 - to file a formal extradition petition in Canada. In case of not doing so, Meng would be released automatically.
