Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying. Photo: VCG

Chinese Foreign Ministry and embassies lashed out at Canada ganging up with other countries over the cases of Canadian Michael Spavor who was convicted of espionage and Canadian drug smuggler Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, and urged these countries to respect the rule of law in Cina and stop politicizing judicial cases. 

China strongly condemns Canada's behavior of ganging up with a few countries and confusing right and wrong over Chinese courts' handling of the cases of Canadian citizens. It seriously violated China's judicial sovereignty and violated the spirit of the rule of law, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a statement on Thursday. 

China is a country with rule of law. Judicial authorities treat all the criminals as equals and handle all cases in strict accordance with law, regardless of the criminals' nationality. No foreign identity can be the amulet, Hua said.

However, while Canada claims to be a champion of the "rule of law" and "judicial independence," it blatantly interferes with China's judicial authorities' independent handling of cases and tramples on the spirit of the rule of law that everyone is equal before the law. It fully exposes its hypocrisy of "double standards" and the true intention of politicizing judicial cases, Hua noted. 

In addition, Chinese embassies in Canada, the US, Germany and the Chinese Mission to the EU also condemned related US, Canadian and German personnel for making groundless accusations against China while interfering in China's judicial sovereignty. 

Chinese Embassy in the US on Thursday called US' reckless and irresponsible comments on China's lawful handling of the cases a gross interference in China's judicial sovereignty. The two Canadians, Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, were suspected of endangering China's national security and were arrested, prosecuted and tried in accordance with the law.

Chinese Embassy in Canada expressed great indignation and strong condemnation in two separate statements over the recent unwarranted remarks from the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Minister Marc Garneau on the case of Spavor and Schellenberg.

Their comments grossly interfered in China's judicial sovereignty and seriously breached international law and basic norms governing international relations. Such accusations are extremely unreasonable, extremely absurd and arrogant, the embassy in Canada said. 

Chinese Embassy in Germany, in a separate statement, also condemned the remarks of German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas over the cases of Spavor and Schellenberg. It urged Germany to respect the rule of law, respect the facts and stop politicizing judicial cases. Germany should do more things conducive to a mutually beneficial cooperation, rather than the opposite, the embassy said. 

Spokesperson of the Chinese Mission to the EU also released a statement to criticize European External Action Service's spokesperson over the EU's reckless interference in China's internal affairs and judicial sovereignty in relating to the two cases. It urged the EU to respect the spirit of the rule of law and China's judicial sovereignty, and exercise caution in words and deeds to avoid having any negative impacts on China-EU relations.

The Embassy in Canada also urges Canada to stop applying double standards on legal issues, and stop slandering and attacking China so as to avoid bringing further damage to China-Canada relations. Chinese judicial organs handle cases independently in accordance with the law. There is no such thing as "arbitrary detention" at all, the embassy in Canada said. 

The Dandong Intermediate People's Court handled the case of Spavor in strict accordance with the law, fully protected Spavor's litigation rights, respected and honored the Canadian side's consular rights such as visiting and receiving notification, and arranged for the Canadian side to attend the trial. However, Canada, disregarding the political nature of the Meng Wanzhou incident and acting as an accomplice of the US, has detained Meng, an innocent Chinese citizen who didn't violate any Canadian law, for nearly 1,000 days. This is arbitrary detention in every sense of the term, the embassy in Canada said. 

The Chinese Embassy in the US also said Meng has never violated any Canadian law but has been detained by Canada until today. Canada chooses to be an accomplice to the US and this is a textbook example of arbitrary detention by "exercising leverage over a foreign government.'' 

"We urge the US to respect the rule of law and China's judicial sovereignty, and unconditionally revoke Meng's extradition," Chinese Embassy in the US stated in the statement.

Canada gathered a handful of diplomats from Western countries in China to support it with regards to the case of Spavor, and even defended the convicted Canadian drug trafficker, putting on a clumsy political show, which is utterly despicable, the Chinese embassy in Canada said.

The just voice of the international community is clear to all that more than 90 countries supported China's position and opposed the interference in China's internal affairs by Canada and other Western countries during the recent 47th session of the UN Human Rights Council, Chinese Embassy in Canada said. 

Michael Spavor was sentenced to 11 years in prison on Wednesday after being found guilty of foreign espionage and the illegal provision of state secrets by the Intermediate People's Court of Dandong City in Northeast China's Liaoning Province. 

On Tuesday, Canadian drug smuggler Schellenberg's death penalty was upheld by the High People's Court of Liaoning Province in a second trial.

Global Times