Experts say that relations between the two countries have turned into “hostage diplomacy.”

Maximum tension between Canada and China. A day after the ratification of the death sentence for drug trafficking to Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, on August 10, a Chinese court sentenced businessman Michael Spavor, also a Canadian, to 11 years in prison on espionage charges.

Spavor has been in custody since 2018 after being detained alongside former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig.

The verdict was described by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “arbitrary, totally unacceptable and unfair.”

International observers interpret the decisions as Chinese pressure on Canada, as a Canadian court must decide whether to hand over Huawei tech giant Meng Wanzhou to the US for criminal charges.

China believes the arrest of Meng, now on parole, is politically motivated.

The Asian country has denied that the judgments against Canadians are related to the executive branch, although the arrests of Michaels, as they are called, came just days after Meng’s 2018 arrest.

The crisis has been described as “hostage diplomacy,” and behind it lies an escalation of the international political game for which difficult decisions are expected.

There is a trade war between them

Some experts argue that Canada is at the center of a trade war between China and the United States.

“The trade war between the US and China has exacerbated tensions between China and the rest of the West. Joe Biden remains tough on Beijing, fueling fears that the world will be torn apart by a new cold war, ”said expert Darren Touch. on US-China relations at the Wilson Center in Washington.

The Huawei case has been a constant source of tension. The US maintains tough sanctions against the Chinese tech company and blames it as a national security threat.

Meng Wanzhou is the company’s chief financial officer and daughter of its founder Ren Zhengfei. His arrest by Canadian authorities on December 1, 2018 occurred as part of a US investigation against Huawei regarding possible violations of sanctions against Iran.

From the very beginning, China was outraged. Officials called Maine’s detention “highly offensive and illegal” and warned Canada that there would be “serious consequences” if the businesswoman was not released immediately.

In less than a week, China arrested Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig on suspicion of espionage.

Beijing claims that Michael and Schellenberg are criminals, although Canada believes their fate is tied to that of the Huawei chief.

Maine was arrested shortly after Robert Schellenberg was first brought to trial. The death sentence was passed only at the next trial, which has already been approved.

Even less obvious are the crimes committed by “Michael.”

‘Failed Diplomacy’

Experts interviewed by BBC Mundo, the BBC’s Spanish service, say the sentences were in practice in retaliation for Meng’s arrest.

“Hostage-taking diplomacy is part of the Chinese instrument and is used in this case,” says Paul Evans, professor of international relations in Asia and the Trans-Pacific at the University of British Columbia in Canada.

“This is all part of a strategy to pressure Canada to free Maine. But in Canada, the judiciary is independent, without political interference. In Michael’s case, there was a lot of opacity in the process, which is unacceptable, ”he adds. … Tap.

According to experts, China’s goal is to prevent Meng’s extradition and trial in the United States at all costs.

“China’s use of hostage-taking diplomacy violates international law as Beijing seeks to influence Canada and other countries,” Tach said.

The confusion between Ottawa, Beijing and Washington seems to be difficult to resolve, at least for now.

Way out of the conflict

“I think the solution to this diplomatic mess lies in Washington, which started the crisis by demanding Meng’s extradition. A negotiated agreement with the prosecution, possibly coupled with a very high fine for Huawei, could be part of that decision, ”says Gordon. Holden, professor emeritus at the University of Alberta China Institute, Canada.

Paul Evans, on the other hand, believes that the solution to this conflict is to view it as a diplomatic and political issue, not a legal issue.

“It will be very difficult to find a solution,” says Touch.

The current crisis has a forerunner in 2014, when Canadian couple Kevin and Julia Garratt were also arrested in China for alleged espionage.

The arrest came shortly after Canadian authorities arrested Chinese citizen Su Bing on charges of conspiracy to hack into systems containing confidential US military data.

Many interpreted the arrest of the Garratts as retaliation and an attempt to blockade China to prevent Su’s extradition to the United States.

Su Bin was found guilty and sentenced in 2016 in California to 46 months in prison.

Julia Garratt was released on bail in 2015 and Kevin Garratt was deported in 2016 following a visit by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to China.

“At the moment, there is no indication as to when Beijing will be able to deport the Michaels,” Evans said.

Howlden, on the other hand, does not believe Schellenberg’s sentence will be overturned, although he leaves the door open for her “so that at some point she will be replaced with life imprisonment,” he says.

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