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From the CBC
Former U.S. ambassador to China Gary Locke said Tuesday that U.S. President Donald Trump undermined Canada over the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou when he said that he would intervene in the case if it could help secure a trade deal with China.
In an interview with CBC News Network's Power & Politics, Locke said the extradition process has always been viewed as independent and separate from politics. But Trump's offer in a Reuters interview to insert himself into the case — "if I think it's good for what will be certainly the largest trade deal ever made" — may have made Canada's actions appear to the Chinese as an attempt at securing leverage.
"And so if the president is intervening, then the Chinese will say, 'OK Canada, why don't you intervene? Why don't you just simply refuse to extradite this person to the United States?" he said.
Canadian officials have maintained that the Dec. 1 arrest of Meng happened without political interference and that the process is unfolding in accordance with the rule of law and international treaties.
COMMENT:-
Since the Canadian position is that extradition is NOT to be used for "political purposes" and that people are not to be subjected to "politically motivated" prosecutions, Mr. Trump's statements have left it open to the Canadian government to refuse to extradite and to make the reason for that refusal that "The President of the United States of America has given the strongest possible indications that the prosecution and request for extradition were solely for the political purpose of pressuring that government of an independent and sovereign state. The Canadian government will not lend its imprimatur to such a flagrant misuse of international law.".
Will the Canadian government go that far, or will the Canadian government merely tell the US government that that is what it intends to do if the US government does not withdraw the extradition request?
Donald Trump undermined Canada on Huawei arrest, says former U.S. ambassador
Former U.S. ambassador to China Gary Locke said Tuesday that U.S. President Donald Trump undermined Canada over the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou when he said that he would intervene in the case if it could help secure a trade deal with China.
In an interview with CBC News Network's Power & Politics, Locke said the extradition process has always been viewed as independent and separate from politics. But Trump's offer in a Reuters interview to insert himself into the case — "if I think it's good for what will be certainly the largest trade deal ever made" — may have made Canada's actions appear to the Chinese as an attempt at securing leverage.
"And so if the president is intervening, then the Chinese will say, 'OK Canada, why don't you intervene? Why don't you just simply refuse to extradite this person to the United States?" he said.
Canadian officials have maintained that the Dec. 1 arrest of Meng happened without political interference and that the process is unfolding in accordance with the rule of law and international treaties.
COMMENT:-
Since the Canadian position is that extradition is NOT to be used for "political purposes" and that people are not to be subjected to "politically motivated" prosecutions, Mr. Trump's statements have left it open to the Canadian government to refuse to extradite and to make the reason for that refusal that "The President of the United States of America has given the strongest possible indications that the prosecution and request for extradition were solely for the political purpose of pressuring that government of an independent and sovereign state. The Canadian government will not lend its imprimatur to such a flagrant misuse of international law.".
Will the Canadian government go that far, or will the Canadian government merely tell the US government that that is what it intends to do if the US government does not withdraw the extradition request?
