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China Threatens HK-Based Canadians

ORIGINAL POST
Posted by Ed 4 yrs ago
Canada is among several countries that suspended extradition agreements with Hong Kong in response to Beijing’s imposition of a sweeping national security law in June. Dozens of MPs recently called for Canada to offer “safe harbour” to pro-democracy protesters fleeing Hong Kong, prompting the warning from Cong.
 
“We strongly urge the Canadian side not to grant so-called political asylum to those violent criminals in Hong Kong, because it is interference in China’s domestic affairs, and certainly it will embolden those violent criminals,” Cong said.
 

“If the Canadian side really cares about the stability and prosperity in Hong Kong, and really cares about the good health and safety of those 300,000 Canadian passport holders in Hong Kong, and a large number of Canadian companies operating in Hong Kong, you should support those efforts to fight violent crimes.”
 

When asked if his words were a threat, Cong reportedly replied: “That is your interpretation.”
 

Canadian foreign affairs minister, François-Philippe Champagne, said Cong’s comments were inappropriate and he had instructed the ministry to call in the ambassador for a meeting.
 

“The reported comments by the Chinese ambassador are totally unacceptable and disturbing,” Champagne told the Globe and Mail.
 

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COMMENTS
Ed 4 yrs ago
China Warns U.S. It May Detain Americans in Response to Prosecutions of Chinese Scholars
 
Blunt message suggests U.S. nationals in China at risk of becoming ‘hostages’ in Chinese diplomatic tactic
 
 
After federal agents this summer moved to detain and charge multiple visiting Chinese academics for their undisclosed links to the People’s Liberation Army while at US research universities or laboratories (often involving outright deception to federal agencies), Beijing has escalated things with its own unprecedented warning.
 

A WSJ exclusive published Saturday cites several sources to say Chinese government officials are threatening to arrest American nationals working or residing in China in response to the DOJ prosecutions of Chinese military-linked researchers. The report cites a series of warnings communicated via "multiple channels" since the summer, including directly to the US Embassy in Beijing. It now appears Beijing too is ready to go 'gloves off' as the WSJ details:
 

The Chinese message, the people said, has been blunt: The U.S. should drop prosecutions of the Chinese scholars in American courts, or Americans in China might find themselves in violation of Chinese law.
 
WSJ (paywall) 
 
 
Expat recruitment companies in HK and China will not be pleased with this development...
 
 

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Ed 4 yrs ago
Canada will not be cowed by Beijing on human rights, says PM after ambassador takes aim at Canadians in Hong Kong
 
Canada will continue to defend human rights in China, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged Friday, after a top Chinese diplomat warned Ottawa against welcoming Hong Kong pro-democracy activists.

China’s ambassador to Ottawa, Cong Peiwu, warned Canada on Thursday against granting asylum to Hong Kong activists, which he said could have consequences for the “health and security” for the 300,000 Canadians living in the theoretically autonomous Chinese territory.

The Canadian daily The Globe and Mail said Ottawa had recently granted asylum to a Hong Kong couple, which the Canadian government has neither confirmed nor denied. 
 
“We will stand up loudly and clearly for human rights, all around the world, whether it’s talking about the situation faced by the Uighurs, whether it’s talking about the very concerning situation in Hong Kong, whether it’s calling out China for its coercive diplomacy,” said Trudeau when asked about the Chinese ambassador’s comments.

But he added: “We don’t look to escalate.”

For his part, the new leader of the conservative opposition, Erin O’Toole, called on the Chinese diplomat “to fully retract his remarks and issue a public apology.”
 
“Should the Ambassador fail to do so expeditiously, we expect the government to withdraw his credentials,” he said. 
 

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1plus1 4 yrs ago
Do they plan to arrest Victor Li, Richard Li, and Li Ka-shing ? They are Canadians.

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