The Chinese ambassador to Ottawa threatens to retaliate against Canada on Monday after the House of Commons approved a proposal declaring China committing genocide.
“We will not stand idly by while our national interests are insulted,” Ambassador Kong Pyo said in an interview with TVA Novels.
“We will take strict measures to protect our national interests and dignity,” he added, without specifying what these measures would be.
The House of Commons unanimously adopted a motion on February 22 alleging that China is committing “genocide” against the Uyghurs and other Muslims.
“There is no genocide in Xinjiang,” Ambassador Zong said, noting that China is fighting a war against terrorism and separatism in the region.
“I will ask people here to respect the facts and not publish these baseless accusations against China,” he said.
The cloth has been burning between Ottawa and Beijing since Huawei leader Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada in December 2018.
Meng was arrested in Vancouver on the order of the United States, which accuses her of bank fraud in an attempt to circumvent US sanctions against Iran.
The ambassador appealed to Canada “did not violate any Canadian law,” calling on Canada again to allow Ms. Meng to return to China.
Soon trial for two Michaels?
Hu Shijin, editor of the Global Times, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China, wrote last week that the trial of Canadians Michael Coffrig and Michael Spavor are expected to begin soon.
“It will be a very important development because it will complicate matters to try to release them,” said Jay San Jacques, the former Canadian ambassador to Beijing.
The Chinese ambassador said he was unable to confirm the information published by the “Global Times”.
China maintains that the two men’s arrests have nothing to do with the Meng Wanzhou case, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently said he was convinced otherwise.
Justin Trudeau said: “It is very clear that Michaels was arrested on pretexts invented for national security, a few days after we fulfilled our responsibilities under the extradition treaty with the United States.”
