Chinese envoy overstepped with threat to Canadians in Hong Kong, Freeland says

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Sep 6, 2008
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Chinese envoy overstepped with threat to Canadians in Hong Kong, Freeland says​

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland is denouncing China’s ambassador to Canada for threatening Canadians living in Hong Kong as Beijing staunchly defends its outspoken diplomat and accuses Ottawa of promoting “anti-China voices.”

Ms. Freeland told the House of Commons on Monday she was “well aware of the character of Communist authoritarian regimes” as she chided Chinese Ambassador Cong Peiwu for overstepping his diplomatic role.

However, she sidestepped calls from the official opposition to expel the diplomat.

“Let me say the recent comments by the Chinese ambassador are not in any way in keeping with the spirit of appropriate diplomatic relations between two countries,” she said in response to questions from Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole.

Canada-China relations took another blow last Thursday, when Mr. Cong warned Ottawa against granting asylum to pro-democracy dissidents from Hong Kong, saying such action could jeopardize the “health and safety” of 300,000 Canadians living in the former British colony. He also warned of a “strong reaction” from Beijing if the Canadian Parliament condemned ethnic cleansing of Muslim Uyghurs in China’s Xinjiang province.

The ambassador was called in to Global Affairs the same day for a reprimand, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday the Canadian government would not be silenced by Chinese threats. Earlier in the week, he had accused China of engaging in “coercive diplomacy."

On Monday, China’s top Foreign Ministry spokesman accused Canada of condoning anti-Chinese sentiment and said Mr. Cong’s remarks were misconstrued.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/amp...tepped-with-threat-to-canadians-in-hong-kong/