Canada’s defense minister says China is not an adversary

Canada’s defense minister says China is not an adversary despite the arbitrary detention of two Canadians

Canada’s defense minister said Friday China is not an adversary despite the arbitrary detention of two Canadians — a statement that came as he hosted an international security forum that will honor pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.

Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan said at the Halifax International Security Forum that the arrests of ex-diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael have strained relations. Sajjan said there is a need for Beijing to return to rules-based international order, but he said there is still cooperation on trade.

“We don’t consider China as an adversary,” Sajjan said.

“We do have two Canadians that have been arbitrarily detained in China and we ask China for their expeditious release and that’s extremely important to us.”

Beijing detained Kovrig and Spavor last December in an apparent attempt to pressure Canada to release Meng Wanzhou, a top executive at Chinese tech giant Huawei. The daughter of Huawei’s founder was arrested Dec. 1 at the request of U.S. authorities who want her on fraud charges.

China has also sentenced two other Canadians to death and suspended imports of Canadian canola. Relations between Canada and China are at their lowest point since the Chinese government’s 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters at Tiananmen Square.

Forum President Peter Van Praagh said it is time to recognize that China has a different worldview and described Beijing as an adversary and strategic competitor.

“This is a big country that does not share our values and yet there are Canadians and Americans who do a lot of business and it does create jobs and so what are we willing to surrender in terms of our own values in cooperation with China and where does that line get drawn?,” Van Praagh said.

In its 11th year, the Halifax International Security Forum has attracted top defense and security officials from Western democracies. Forum Board Member Cindy McCain will present the John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service to the people of Hong Kong on Saturday. China has condemned moves by U.S. lawmakers to throw their support behind the protesters in Hong Kong, threatening “strong countermeasures.”

U.S. President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, Republican Sen. Jim Risch, the chairman of the U.S. Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee and Richard Spencer, secretary of the U.S. Navy are attending the forum.

Trump said Friday that he told Chinese President Xi Jinping that efforts to quash the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong would complicate negotiations for a U.S.-China trade deal.