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China brushes off outrage over death sentence, Canada fires back


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China brushes off outrage over death sentence, Canada fires back

By Philip Wen and David Ljunggren

 

2019-01-17T032334Z_2_LYNXNPEF0F0ML_RTROPTP_4_CHINA-CANADA.JPG

A still image taken from CCTV video shows Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg in court, where he was sentenced with a death penalty for drug smuggling, in Dalian, Liaoning province, China January 14, 2019. CCTV/Reuters TV via REUTERS

 

BEIJING/SHERBROOKE, Quebec (Reuters) - China said on Wednesday it was "not worried in the slightest" by mounting international concern over the death sentence handed to a Canadian for drug smuggling.

 

Monday's sentence for Robert Schellenberg for smuggling 222 kg (489 lbs) of methamphetamines prompted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to accuse China of "arbitrarily" applying the death penalty.

 

Trudeau has called several world leaders in recent days to share concerns about the case of Schellenberg and two Canadians that Beijing detained last month after a senior Chinese executive was arrested in Vancouver on a U.S. arrest warrant.

 

Speaking at a daily news briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Canada's "so-called allies could be counted on ten fingers" and did not represent the views of the wider international community.

 

"I can very clearly state that we are not worried in the slightest," Hua said of the mounting outcry, adding that a majority of Chinese supported severe punishment for drug crimes.

 

Schellenberg's sentence has further strained relations between China and Canada, already aggravated by the December arrest of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies Co Ltd [HWT.UL], on a U.S. extradition request.

 

Asked about Hua's remarks, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland noted that the 28-nation European Union had offered its backing to Ottawa.

 

"We're very pleased to have this support from the EU which ..., like Canada, believes in the rule of law," she told reporters as Trudeau's cabinet prepared to meet in Sherbrooke, Quebec.

 

For the second day in a row, however, she stressed that Canada and China enjoyed a broad and deep relationship.

 

Freeland and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke on Tuesday and "expressed their concerns about the arbitrary detentions and politically motivated sentencing of Canadian nationals", the State Department said.

 

Days after Meng's arrest, China detained two Canadians on suspicion of endangering state security. One of the men, Michael Kovrig, is a diplomat on leave without pay from Canada's embassy in Beijing.

 

John McCallum, Canada's ambassador to China, told reporters the standoff would not be settled quickly and vowed to enlist the help of foreign allies - especially the United States - and the business community.

 

"I think we have to engage the senior Chinese leaders and persuade them that what they are doing is not good for China's image in the world, it's not good for the image of corporate China," he said on the sidelines of the retreat.

 

"It's difficult, it won't happen tomorrow."

 

Trudeau complained last week that China was not respecting Kovrig's diplomatic immunity. A source directly familiar with the case said Canada was unhappy because Chinese officials were questioning Kovrig about his work when stationed at the embassy.

 

The news was first reported by the Globe and Mail newspaper.

 

McCallum said Kovrig and the other Canadian were being questioned up to four hours a day, had no access to lawyers and were only allowed one consular visit a month.

 

China has not linked any of the three Canadians' cases to Meng's arrest, but has warned of severe consequences if she was not immediately released.

 

The Global Times, a state-run tabloid with a nationalistic bent, said China "cannot be weak at this time".

 

"Canada does not have any special cards that can allow Chinese law to bow its head to it," the newspaper said in an editorial on Wednesday, adding that Canada's protests would have no effect.

 

Freeland said on Tuesday that Ottawa had formally applied for clemency for Schellenberg.

 

When asked if China typically listened to this type of request, Hua said the judiciary was not subject to "interference from administrative organs".

 

"You ask whether China is willing to listen to the Canadian side's request, but I don't know if Canada's leaders or politicians have seriously listened to China's solemn position," Hua said.

 

Schellenberg had appealed against an original 15-year prison sentence issued in November, but the court in Liaoning province sided with prosecutors who argued at a retrial that the punishment was too light.

 

(Additional reporting by Susan Heavey in Washington; editing by Darren Schuettler and James Dalgleish)

 
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-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-01-17
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So do all drug smuglers get the death sentence in China or is it because hes Canadian ? If all smuglers are sentenced this way and its a well known fact then he took an enormous risk and will pay the supreme penalty after daring to question the sentence of 15 years .

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Let me get this right.

The idiot in charge of the US gets the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets (not UN sanctioned) to impose sanctions on Iran. The Canadians then act as bully boys on behalf of the US to arrest Wanzhou. Then the Canadians go crying like little bitches to the rest of the world when the Chinese do some bullying back. About sums it up. 

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The Chinese public is even questioning the speed to which this case changed from 15 yrs to death. 

 

This is because, imo, Canada arrested Meng. Now China's actions are showing the rest of the world, if they didn't know already, the kind of country and people these Chinese are.

The Great Wall isn't so great anymore!

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55 minutes ago, Roadman said:

Let me get this right.

The idiot in charge of the US gets the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets (not UN sanctioned) to impose sanctions on Iran. The Canadians then act as bully boys on behalf of the US to arrest Wanzhou. Then the Canadians go crying like little bitches to the rest of the world when the Chinese do some bullying back. About sums it up. 

Yes, there were sanctions on Iran originating from the US and which are lawful insofar as they've followed the procedures by which such sanctions are imposed and agreed upon. The Canadians then were served an internationally-recognized warrant for the arrest of the Chinese VP of Huawei for breaking said sanctions. They, having no other choice being signatories to Interpol and the other international agreements by which criminals are arrested when outside of their home countries, enforced said legal arrest warrant. The Chinese, not respecting international law, then demanded that Canada break said law, and threatened consequences if they did not. The sudden and unusual appeal that has now resulted in a newly imposed death sentence was the obvious and connected consequence, something already explicitly admitted to by the Chinese Government spokesman.

So who is the bully? You could make a case for the Americans if you believe the sanctions to be unfair, or you could make a case for the Chinese who are clearly trying to intimidate Canada into ignoring the laws to which they have already agreed upon. But Canada? How are they anything other than an innocent bystander in this proxy war? If they ignored the arrest warrant, they ignore their solemn and longstanding commitment to the international law protocols of Interpol and others. If they execute the arrest warrant, they're subject to illegal and unprecedented pressure from China to not follow the law, even to the point of executing someone who had nothing whatsoever to do with this dispute. 

Of course, you're simply trolling, as nobody with logical faculties could come to the absurd conclusions you have, and then couched it in such insulting terms. Now that we've established that, do you really feel that international law should be dispensed with and that the Chinese or Americans should have license to do whatever they wish, commensurate with their economic and/or military power?

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2 hours ago, Roadman said:

Let me get this right.

The idiot in charge of the US gets the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets (not UN sanctioned) to impose sanctions on Iran. The Canadians then act as bully boys on behalf of the US to arrest Wanzhou. Then the Canadians go crying like little bitches to the rest of the world when the Chinese do some bullying back. About sums it up. 

Your juvenile and crude wording n

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2 hours ago, Roadman said:

Let me get this right.

The idiot in charge of the US gets the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets (not UN sanctioned) to impose sanctions on Iran. The Canadians then act as bully boys on behalf of the US to arrest Wanzhou. Then the Canadians go crying like little bitches to the rest of the world when the Chinese do some bullying back. About sums it up. 

The Canadians were not acting as bullies but following an extradition treaty with the United States. 

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This is nothing more than a silly, inane, transparent, bullying tactic, on the part of China, to get their way. They are not wielding their newfound power lightly. And it is going to get worse over time. They are an authoritarian, autocratic dictatorship, and they have no respect for the rules of law. Granted, what this guy did was beyond dumb. But, the sentence had already been passed long ago, and this is simply a bully acting up. Canada has shown alot of courage to stand up to both the Chinese, and the Saudi governments. Both are wrong. Both are immoral. Both are heinous. Canada is simply calling them out, for what they are. China is so used to handing out the death penalty, it is probably not even considered strange to the Chinese people, who are so accustomed to seeing it, along with so many other forms of draconian behavior, on the part of their horrific leaders. 

 

In terms of the Huawei scandal, that seems bizarre to me. The US has every right to impose sanctions on a nation, if they see fit. But, to impose going along with those sanctions unilaterally on the entire planet, seems ridiculous to me. How can they do that? Is that even legal for the US to force other nations to agree to their sanctions on Iran? 

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11 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

This is nothing more than a silly, inane, transparent, bullying tactic, on the part of China, to get their way. They are not wielding their newfound power lightly. And it is going to get worse over time. They are an authoritarian, autocratic dictatorship, and they have no respect for the rules of law. Granted, what this guy did was beyond dumb. But, the sentence had already been passed long ago, and this is simply a bully acting up. Canada has shown alot of courage to stand up to both the Chinese, and the Saudi governments. Both are wrong. Both are immoral. Both are heinous. Canada is simply calling them out, for what they are. China is so used to handing out the death penalty, it is probably not even considered strange to the Chinese people, who are so accustomed to seeing it, along with so many other forms of draconian behavior, on the part of their horrific leaders. 

 

In terms of the Huawei scandal, that seems bizarre to me. The US has every right to impose sanctions on a nation, if they see fit. But, to impose going along with those sanctions unilaterally on the entire planet, seems ridiculous to me. How can they do that? Is that even legal for the US to force other nations to agree to their sanctions on Iran? 

Depends on what the country signs up to do.  Many treaties and trade deals make some things illegal and the countries who are signed up to enforce them should do so.  Moral questions like chopping up a news guy not so clear a course of action. 

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1 hour ago, kamahele said:

The Canadians were not acting as bullies but following an extradition treaty with the United States. 

 

Was the request the Canadians acted on from a US Court and/or law enforcement agency or was it via political / diplomatic channels?

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2 hours ago, Cereal said:

Does anybody know if the guy actually did try to smuggle drugs or not. I've read a lot about this but nowhere have I read he was caught with drugs. It's all about the death sentence.

Yes, that question should be asked. And if answered 'yes', also look at the amount.

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5 hours ago, JCauto said:

Yes, there were sanctions on Iran originating from the US and which are lawful insofar as they've followed the procedures by which such sanctions are imposed and agreed upon. The Canadians then were served an internationally-recognized warrant for the arrest of the Chinese VP of Huawei for breaking said sanctions. They, having no other choice being signatories to Interpol and the other international agreements by which criminals are arrested when outside of their home countries, enforced said legal arrest warrant. The Chinese, not respecting international law, then demanded that Canada break said law, and threatened consequences if they did not. The sudden and unusual appeal that has now resulted in a newly imposed death sentence was the obvious and connected consequence, something already explicitly admitted to by the Chinese Government spokesman.

So who is the bully? You could make a case for the Americans if you believe the sanctions to be unfair, or you could make a case for the Chinese who are clearly trying to intimidate Canada into ignoring the laws to which they have already agreed upon. But Canada? How are they anything other than an innocent bystander in this proxy war? If they ignored the arrest warrant, they ignore their solemn and longstanding commitment to the international law protocols of Interpol and others. If they execute the arrest warrant, they're subject to illegal and unprecedented pressure from China to not follow the law, even to the point of executing someone who had nothing whatsoever to do with this dispute. 

Of course, you're simply trolling, as nobody with logical faculties could come to the absurd conclusions you have, and then couched it in such insulting terms. Now that we've established that, do you really feel that international law should be dispensed with and that the Chinese or Americans should have license to do whatever they wish, commensurate with their economic and/or military power?

I don't know if Canada has a sneaky outfit like the CIA that could get her on a private jet back to China. The yanks would be pissed off but it would solve a lot of problems for Canada.

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6 hours ago, JCauto said:

Yes, there were sanctions on Iran originating from the US and which are lawful insofar as they've followed the procedures by which such sanctions are imposed and agreed upon. The Canadians then were served an internationally-recognized warrant for the arrest of the Chinese VP of Huawei for breaking said sanctions. They, having no other choice being signatories to Interpol and the other international agreements by which criminals are arrested when outside of their home countries, enforced said legal arrest warrant. The Chinese, not respecting international law, then demanded that Canada break said law, and threatened consequences if they did not. The sudden and unusual appeal that has now resulted in a newly imposed death sentence was the obvious and connected consequence, something already explicitly admitted to by the Chinese Government spokesman.

So who is the bully? You could make a case for the Americans if you believe the sanctions to be unfair, or you could make a case for the Chinese who are clearly trying to intimidate Canada into ignoring the laws to which they have already agreed upon. But Canada? How are they anything other than an innocent bystander in this proxy war? If they ignored the arrest warrant, they ignore their solemn and longstanding commitment to the international law protocols of Interpol and others. If they execute the arrest warrant, they're subject to illegal and unprecedented pressure from China to not follow the law, even to the point of executing someone who had nothing whatsoever to do with this dispute. 

Of course, you're simply trolling, as nobody with logical faculties could come to the absurd conclusions you have, and then couched it in such insulting terms. Now that we've established that, do you really feel that international law should be dispensed with and that the Chinese or Americans should have license to do whatever they wish, commensurate with their economic and/or military power?

 

Who is the bully? 

 

What sanctions did the Huawei CFO violate? She is not (thank God for every person who does not originate from this country of pathological meddlers!) an American so such laws do not apply to her! The United States must be severely deluded into thinking it can police and bully the rest of the world. A government of pretentious hypocrites treating other countries as geographically part of the United States! But why wonder of course when the country is governed by an illiterate nitwit!

 

The laws of the US do NOT apply to us citizens of other governments! Americans seem to forget that cardinal rule!

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5 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

Depends on what the country signs up to do.  Many treaties and trade deals make some things illegal and the countries who are signed up to enforce them should do so.  Moral questions like chopping up a news guy not so clear a course of action. 

 

Well, in this case, it seems like Goliath is pushing around the little guy. And insisting that it be done his way, or the highway. Fairly ridiculous. All one can really say, is that the fact that America is becoming less relevant by the day, might be a really good thing for the world. Although, China stepping in to fill that void will not be a good thing. We live in perilous times!

 

The reality is, that the US may be making China even more of a global superpower, by imposing what may be poorly thought out policy, as is typical of all of the foreign policy coming from the Trump administration. Trump is in way, way over his head, and someone needs to tell him that. Oh, I forgot. Mattis did tell him, and so did Tillerson, and Kelly. We know how well that went, from a dangerous man who cannot, and will not take advice.

 

While the most recent round of sanctions aims to put further pressure on Tehran for regime change and to support American regional allies, such as Israel and Saudi Arabia, they also have an indirect beneficiary in the form of the US’s biggest global rival, China. And this has wider implications for the region.

The Middle Kingdom meets the Middle East

While European firms have explored ways to circumvent American sanctions or seek waivers, the threat of sanctions is likely to scare away many firms from doing business in the country. This will leave a voidthat China is likely to fill. As a result, Chinese firms will gain a near monopoly on Iranian oil and trade.

 

While Chinese imports of Iranian oil have initially experienced a slight decline, it is possible that this is one of Beijing’s ploys to see whether deals serving China’s interests are offered by an increasingly isolated Iran. For while Iran has been receptive to Chinese investment in the past, it has equally sought European investment to balance this out and to prevent China from playing too dominant a role in the country. The sanctions have now made China’s dominance all the more likely.

 

China increasingly is building its influence in a region that has traditionally been dominated by the US. This may see Tehran become more amenable to Chinese global initiatives, such as the Belt and the Road Initiative (BRI) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

 

http://theconversation.com/iran-how-us-sanctions-are-strengthening-chinas-global-power-106564

 

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13 hours ago, Roadman said:

Let me get this right.

The idiot in charge of the US gets the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets (not UN sanctioned) to impose sanctions on Iran. The Canadians then act as bully boys on behalf of the US to arrest Wanzhou. Then the Canadians go crying like little bitches to the rest of the world when the Chinese do some bullying back. About sums it up. 

Not exactly. She is charged with fraud for lying to US banks about her companies violations of US sanctions against Iran. This puts the US banks in violation of US sanctions by providing banking services to her company. This is why she has been detained in Canada who are legally required by agreements with the US. So to be clear the US has not requested her extradition to the US because of her company violating US sanctions to Iran, but because of the fraud she committed lying to US banks.

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16 hours ago, UASCB500BIKER said:

China will start  WORLD WAR  3

my wife is Chinese and she hopes they do.

Why?  According to her logic if they do that then the rest of the world will kick their arse and the CCP will be no more.

This is what she prays for daily.  No more CCP.

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7 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

 

Well, in this case, it seems like Goliath is pushing around the little guy. And insisting that it be done his way, or the highway. Fairly ridiculous. All one can really say, is that the fact that America is becoming less relevant by the day, might be a really good thing for the world. Although, China stepping in to fill that void will not be a good thing. We live in perilous times!

 

The reality is, that the US may be making China even more of a global superpower, by imposing what may be poorly thought out policy, as is typical of all of the foreign policy coming from the Trump administration. Trump is in way, way over his head, and someone needs to tell him that. Oh, I forgot. Mattis did tell him, and so did Tillerson, and Kelly. We know how well that went, from a dangerous man who cannot, and will not take advice.

 

While the most recent round of sanctions aims to put further pressure on Tehran for regime change and to support American regional allies, such as Israel and Saudi Arabia, they also have an indirect beneficiary in the form of the US’s biggest global rival, China. And this has wider implications for the region.

The Middle Kingdom meets the Middle East

While European firms have explored ways to circumvent American sanctions or seek waivers, the threat of sanctions is likely to scare away many firms from doing business in the country. This will leave a voidthat China is likely to fill. As a result, Chinese firms will gain a near monopoly on Iranian oil and trade.

 

While Chinese imports of Iranian oil have initially experienced a slight decline, it is possible that this is one of Beijing’s ploys to see whether deals serving China’s interests are offered by an increasingly isolated Iran. For while Iran has been receptive to Chinese investment in the past, it has equally sought European investment to balance this out and to prevent China from playing too dominant a role in the country. The sanctions have now made China’s dominance all the more likely.

 

China increasingly is building its influence in a region that has traditionally been dominated by the US. This may see Tehran become more amenable to Chinese global initiatives, such as the Belt and the Road Initiative (BRI) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

 

http://theconversation.com/iran-how-us-sanctions-are-strengthening-chinas-global-power-106564

 

and the rest of the world meanwhile is waiting to see if the US will implode.

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21 hours ago, keith101 said:

So do all drug smuglers get the death sentence in China or is it because hes Canadian ? If all smuglers are sentenced this way and its a well known fact then he took an enormous risk and will pay the supreme penalty after daring to question the sentence of 15 years .

Answers simple, don't smuggle drugs & don't go to China!

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2 hours ago, car720 said:

and the rest of the world meanwhile is waiting to see if the US will implode.

 

I just do not get these sanctions. I do not know where the US gets the authority to impose them on the world. Seems arrogant, short sided, and bizarre to me. 

 

There is virtually no doubt that the US will implode. It is just a matter of when. Not if. The days of empire are over. There is no making America great again. Great concept for a slogan, and a campaign. But, not gonna happen. China's economy will surpass that of the US within a mere couple of years. And China is sitting on 4 trillion in cash, and the US is sitting on what is realistically 30-35 trillion in debt, with a standing in the world, prestige, influence, and power, that is diminishing every day. 

 

Looking at the US these days, is like gazing into the Western Roman empire, circa late 5th century AD, just prior to Odoacer marching into Rome. And I say all of this as an American, so please do not accuse me of being anti American. I love America. At least I love the America I remember. I barely recognize that nation, when I return for frequent visits. It is a pale shadow of it's former self, on a dozen different levels, and is chock full of disenfranchised, bitter, joyless souls. Not all. Just many. The fact is that the middle class is disappearing in the US. 80% of all Americans now live paycheck to paycheck, with barely a month or two in savings in the bank, and the homeless population is absolutely exploding. That fact is borne out, by the degree of suffering Trump has inflicted on 800,000 Americans, with the "Trump Wall Shutdown". Many are having to borrow money to survive, less than two paychecks into the shutdown. What does that say about the nation, and the economy, which is being falsely touted as the best ever. 

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China has been down and out for such a long long time.

Chinese feel insecure and work like dogs 60 hours a week to secure their future. 

 

Americans are just the opposite.  

Stock markets have their ups and downs. 

The fortunes of countries have their ups and downs too.  

May be god wants China to see the sun rinses from the east.  

 

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5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

China is sitting on 4 trillion in cash

as in folding money.  If they flood the market with that alone it would be enough to destroy the dominance of the US petro dollar.  Plus they have started doing a gold exchange for oil as well.

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