China criticizes Canada, says it needs to learn lessons from Huawei executive case

In the wake of the exchange of prominent prisoners on both parts, China still had harsh words from Canada, boasting that Canada needs to "draw lessons" from the situation that just unfolded on the world stage.

On the same day of Saturday, Sept. 25 2021, Meng Wanzhou, an executive with Huawei, was returned to China, and two Canadians being detained in China, Michael Spavor and Micheal Kovrig, were flown back to Canada.

Meng Wanzhou was being held by Canadian authorities for possible extradition to the US on charges of fraud, and had been living under house arrest. But, after almost three years, US authorities struck a deal with her legal team and the extradition request was dropped.

According to Reuters, "Canada should draw lessons and act according to its own interests," said Hua Chunying, a representative of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, saying that her government has always considered Meng to be a political prisoner.

The Canadian government, on its part, called the detention of the "two Michaels" – both detained on "suspicion of espionage" immediately after Meng was detained – an act of "hostage diplomacy" on China's part.

Professor Shi Yinhong, an international relations expert at Renmin University in Beijing, stated:

"The relaxation of positions by both sides is a positive but limited development in China-U.S. relations and is less than significant in the big scheme of things."

"There is no indication that Washington is going to soften on the trade war. I don’t see China immediately relaxing trade restrictions against Canada either."