TORONTO 鈥 Canada鈥檚 鈥渆yes are wide open鈥 when it comes to normalizing its relationship with China, Foreign Minister Marc Garneau said on Sunday, two days after the release of a Huawei executive following almost three years of house arrest in Vancouver.听听
Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. Chief Financial Officer Meng听Wanzhou, the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, flew back to China on Friday after reaching an agreement with US prosecutors to end a bank fraud case against her. That resulted in the scrapping of her extradition battle in a Canadian court.听听
Soon after Meng flew to China, Michael Kovrig and Michael听Spavor听鈥 two Canadians detained by Chinese authorities just days after Ms. Meng鈥檚 arrest in Vancouver in December 2018 on a US warrant听鈥 were听released by Beijing.听听
Mr. Garneau told CBC News the government is now following a fourfold approach to China: 鈥渃oexist,鈥 鈥渃ompete,鈥 鈥渃ooperate鈥 and 鈥渃hallenge.鈥澨听
He said Canada would compete with China on issues like trade and cooperate on climate change, while challenging it on its treatment of Uighurs, Tibetans, and Hong Kong as Ottawa has done in the past.听听
鈥淟et me say, our eyes are wide open. We have been saying that for some time. There was no path to a relationship with China as long as the two Michaels were being detained,鈥 Mr. Garneau said.听听
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mr. Garneau received the two Canadians on Saturday when they arrived in Calgary, Alberta, after spending more than 1,000 days in solitary confinement.听听
Mr.听Spavor听was accused of supplying photographs of military equipment to听Mr.听Kovrig and sentenced in August to 11 years in jail. Mr. Kovrig had been awaiting sentencing.听听
Mr. Trudeau, who won a third term last Monday after a tight election race, had vowed to improve ties with China after becoming prime minister in 2015, building on his father鈥檚 success in establishing diplomatic ties with China in 1970.听听
But even before Ms. Meng鈥檚 arrest, Canada鈥檚 repeated questioning of China鈥檚 human rights positions had irked Beijing, and the two countries have failed to come closer.听听
China has always denied any link between Ms. Meng鈥檚 extradition case and the detention of the two Canadians, but Mr. Garneau said that 鈥渢he immediate return of the two Michaels linked鈥 it to Ms. Meng鈥檚 case in a 鈥渧ery direct manner.鈥澨听
Mr. Garneau said he had heard about the deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) several weeks ago, which opened the door to the return of the two men.听听
Canadian Ambassador to the United States Kirsten Hillman denied Washington had made the release of Messrs. Kovrig and听Spavor听a condition for the resolution of the charges against Ms. Meng.听听
鈥淎bsolutely not. The DPA and the resolution of the charges against Ms. Meng was a completely independent process, and it was proceeding as it did,鈥 Ms. Hillman told Canadian broadcaster CTV.听听
Mr. Garneau also said he did not think the timing of the men鈥檚 return had anything to do with that of the federal election.听听
鈥淚 think it just worked out that way.鈥 鈥听Reuters听
