SHARE ON: |
| |
| |
 |
 |
|
|
He’s rarely, if ever, been this forceful on a foreign file.
Somehow overnight Prime Minister Justin Trudeau decided to give up on China, endure the diplomatic deep freeze and face the inevitable economic backlash by soundly rejecting the Meng-for-Michaels proposal.
Gone were the usual ‘ums’ and ‘uhs’ he mutters while trying to remember talking points.
In the case of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou’s possible extradition to the U.S. and the linked-in imprisonment of Michaels Spavor and Kovrig on bogus spying charges, the prime minister unleashed his position Thursday with no hesitancy in either official language.
If the proposed swap went ahead, Trudeau warned, China would be emboldened to become unscrupulous hostage-takers, seizing foreigners for trade when one of their own gets in trouble overseas.
It was an uncharacteristically firm response for a guy who always seeks kinder, gentler reactions to global tensions involving Canada.
He could’ve simply ducked behind the explanation of this mess crawling along in a court hearing process which could ultimately free Meng in any event.
But he didn’t. And he went further.
Trudeau basically ripped and ridiculed 19 prominent Canadians advocating capitulation, flipping the bird at heavyweights from the Chretien, Martin, Harper and Mulroney governments for a proposal that would put Canadian travellers of the future in danger of being kidnapped.
It’s not clear what motivated so many big names to decide now, 18 months after the standoff began, was the right time to advocate for a hostage swap as a means to improve the China connection.
Their argument that the current justice minister or the prime minster has the power to stop the legal extradition process and simply send Meng packing for home aboard a private Huawei jet wasn’t exactly a revelation.
And they must be aware our more important U.S. relationship would be hurt by simply ditching an extradition request our courts have so far decided is legitimate and should proceed.
But, as of today, Trudeau has wisely decreed this will never happen – and it’s hard to dispute the logic behind his decision.
When China made it clear they’re game for a hostage swap, that put to rest any pretence the charges filed against Spavor and Kovrig were somehow disconnected to the Meng extradition process.
And if it this works once, why would anyone believe it wouldn’t be repeated every time a Chinese national of Communist Party value is apprehended in another country?
Today’s developments will have the Conservative opposition gasping. They’ve advocated for a tough-on-China approach generally and for Trudeau to act against China for detaining the Canadians specifically. Now they’ve got what they demanded. Gulp.
There’s going to be a hefty price to pay for this, of course.
Lumber, lobsters, just about anything heading for export to China is bound to face closer scrutiny, paperwork slowdowns and perhaps outright obstruction to avenge Trudeau’s position. New markets will need to be established to fill the trading void.
This also appears to be the kiss of death to Huawei’s plan to help develop the 5G telecommunications network in Canada, which will make bad things worse.
The Canada-China relationship is clearly in meltdown mode and there’s no stopping the damage from going radioactive now.
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
3 am |
| 5 ℃ |
| SCATTERED CLOUDS |
WIND: NNE 33 KM/H
GUSTING TO 47 KM/H |
|
|
|
4 am |
| 5 ℃ |
| SCATTERED CLOUDS |
WIND: N 26 KM/H
GUSTING TO 40 KM/H |
|
|
 |
5 am |
| 4 ℃ |
| BROKEN CLOUDS |
WIND: NNW 30 KM/H
GUSTING TO 41 KM/H |
|
|
 |
6 am |
| 3 ℃ |
| LIGHT RAIN |
WIND: N 35 KM/H
GUSTING TO 50 KM/H |
|
|
|
7 am |
| 2 ℃ |
| LIGHT RAIN |
WIND: N 34 KM/H
GUSTING TO 52 KM/H |
|
|
|
8 am |
| 1 ℃ |
| LIGHT RAIN |
WIND: NNW 34 KM/H
GUSTING TO 51 KM/H |
|
|
 |
9 am |
| 1 ℃ |
| SNOW |
WIND: NNW 34 KM/H
GUSTING TO 51 KM/H |
|
|
|
10 am |
| 2 ℃ |
| SNOW |
WIND: NNW 38 KM/H
GUSTING TO 56 KM/H |
|
|
|
|
TODAY |
HIGH OF 5 ℃
LOW OF -1 ℃ |
| RAIN AND SNOW |
|
|
|
FRIDAY |
HIGH OF -1 ℃
LOW OF -5 ℃ |
| SNOW |
|
|
|
SATURDAY |
HIGH OF -2 ℃
LOW OF -7 ℃ |
| LIGHT SNOW |
|
|
 |
SUNDAY |
HIGH OF 0 ℃
LOW OF -10 ℃ |
| BROKEN CLOUDS |
|
|
|
MONDAY |
HIGH OF 1 ℃
LOW OF -5 ℃ |
| OVERCAST CLOUDS |
|
|
 |
TUESDAY |
HIGH OF 7 ℃
LOW OF -4 ℃ |
| FEW CLOUDS |
|
|
|
WEDNESDAY |
HIGH OF 2 ℃
LOW OF -1 ℃ |
| LIGHT SNOW |
|
|
|
THURSDAY |
HIGH OF 2 ℃
LOW OF -2 ℃ |
| LIGHT SNOW |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
DRAKE WHITE
LIVIN THE DREAM
03:05 AM |
|
 |
MAX MCNOWN
TURNED INTO MISSING YOU
03:02 AM |
|
 |
LILY ROSE
TWO FLOWERS
02:59 AM |
|
 |
KATE WATSON
RED BLOODED AMERICAN
02:55 AM |
|
 |
OLD DOMINION
ALL I KNOW ABOUT GIRLS
02:53 AM |
|
 |
COLBIE CAILLAT
REALIZE
02:49 AM |
|
 |
ABBY ANDERSON
SEE YOU LIKE THAT
02:43 AM |
|
 |
TAYLOR AUSTIN DYE
DAMN GOOD DAY
02:40 AM |
|
 |
MITCHELL TENPENNY
TENNESSEE IN ME
02:37 AM |
|
 |
STEVEN TYLER
RED WHITE AND YOU
02:34 AM |
|
 
 |
