Sign up
Log in
George
Commentary: Huawei Arrest/Political Kidnapping
Beijing, China - Dec 9, 2018 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Screenshot of China Media Group (CMG) commentary on chinaplus.cri.cn
FILE: Exact Location and Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
2. Various of photos of Meng Wanzhou, Chief Financial Officer of Huawei
3. Logo of Huawei
FILE: Beijing, China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
4. Various of gate to Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Beijing, China - Dec 9, 2018 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
5. Graphic showing quote from China Media Group (CMG) commentary
FILE: Exact Location and Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
6. Various of people at Huawei exhibition
FILE: Dubai, UAE - Oct 29, 2017 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
7. Huawei store in Dubai shopping mall
8. Huawei employee talking to customers
FILE: Seoul, South Korea - March 2018 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
9. Various of South Korean consumers trying Huawei smartphone
FILE: Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, south China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
10. Huawei logo on office building
FILE: Beijing, China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
11. Various of Huawei's 5G technology research, development base
Beijing, China - Dec 9, 2018 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
12. Graphic showing quote from China Media Group (CMG) commentary
FILE: Beijing, China - Nov 12, 2018 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
13. Various of China-Canada Economic and Financial Strategic Dialogue in progress
Beijing, China - Dec 9, 2018 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
14. Graphic showing quote from China Media Group (CMG) commentary
FILE: Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, south China - May, 2016 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
15. Showroom of 5G technology research center of Huawei Technologies
16. 5G logo
17. Screen showing 5G network in use
Beijing, China - Dec 9, 2018 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
18. Graphic showing quote from China Media Group (CMG) commentary by Gordon Houlden, director of Chinese Institute, University of Alberta
FILE: Ottawa, Canada - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
19. Canadian national flag
20. Canadian parliament building
FILE: Beijing, China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
21. Various of Tian'anmen Square, Chinese national flags
Canada's detention of Huawei's Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou is a move of political kidnapping, for which the Canadian government may have to take the consequences, according to a commentary published Sunday on the website of the China Radio International (CRI) under the China Media Group.
The following is an edited translation of the article:
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng urgently summoned Canadian Ambassador to China John McCallum on December 8, urging Canada to immediately release the Huawei executive, Meng Wanzhou, who was detained while changing planes in Vancouver at the request of the United States.
Canada's eagerness to jump to the frontline of a political kidnap is bewildering to the eyes of those who keep a close watch on international affairs.
Just a few months ago, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was openly criticizing the U.S. imposition of steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports for reasons of alleged national security: "Canadians, we're polite, we're reasonable, but we also will not be pushed around." His country launched retaliatory measures, including bringing the U.S. to the WTO panel, and slapping a 25 percent tariff on U.S. imports worth 12.6 billion U.S. dollars, starting on July 1. The international community commended Canada for standing up for its own interests.
However, the Canada that "will not be pushed around" has just now played the part of a dishonorable "pusher": its detention of the Huawei executive at the request of the U.S. is both despicable and unsettling.
One reader of Canada's biggest newspaper, the Globe and Mail, Alex Duhaney in Ottawa wrote: "I am deeply ashamed that our government would participate in the kidnap and ransom of a leader of a foreign company. This brazen act has brought dishonor to our current leadership, and placed at risk Canadians who are conducting business abroad."
Another reader in Victoria, British Columbia (the westernmost province of Canada) called Larry Hannant, wrote: "Recently re-imposed by the Trump administration in defiance of a prior United Nations Security Council agreement, the punishing blockade of Tehran has been widely condemned. Rather than doing 'the right thing,' Canada appears to have thrown itself willy-nilly into an international dispute on behalf of an isolated rogue administration intent on provoking conflict with most of the states of the world."
In recent years, some Western countries have been working tirelessly to defame Huawei, calling it a spy and a threat to information security. But Canada was different from other Western countries and had not barred this Chinese tech giant from participating in its crucial projects. Major Canadian telecom service providers all use Huawei-made products; BCE and Telus are working with Huawei on 5G networks; some Canadian universities also have forged partnerships with the Chinese company.
In recent months, the Canadian government, seeking to expand trade, has been in close contact with the Chinese side to promote negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement. After Canada, Mexico and the U.S. signed the NAFTA 2.0, there has been wide media coverage on the so-called "poison pill" provisions introduced by the U.S. As such, Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland called her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to reiterate Canada's resolve to promote the negotiation of free trade agreements with other countries. More than 70 Canadian experts have also drafted a report on how to circumvent the "poison pill" clauses and promote economic and trade relations with China. Last month, Canada's Finance Minister Bill Morneau and International Trade Diversification Minister Jim Carr were in Beijing to attend the first "China-Canada economic and financial strategy dialogue," which they jointly hosted with Chinese State Councilor Wang Yong. The Canadian government later stated that "the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening and expanding the Canada-China economic and trade relationship."
However, all these efforts and resulting grounds of cooperation have now been put in question by the arrest of the Chinese business executive. Gordon Houlden, director of the Chinese Institute at the University of Alberta, said, "the whole thing is a bad news story for us... The chances of the Canadian government allowing Huawei to become involved in the implementation of 5G technology in this country must now be very slim indeed. The Americans simply won't tolerate it. Conversely, the Chinese are unlikely to agree to sectoral free-trade negotiations, a Canadian goal."
Canadian internet users are distraught too, seeing as their cheap 5G data plans may go up in smoke. Many of them encourage the Canadian court and politicians to "stand on their hindlegs and deny the extradition of Meng Wanzhou to the U.S." After all, the so-called illicit activities are nothing but the invention of some politicians, whose sole purpose is to impede trade between other countries, corporations and individuals.
Hopefully, Canada's judiciary and government can themselves avoid becoming the victims of this politically-motivated kidnapping.
Commentary: Huawei Arrest/Political Kidnapping
Dateline : Dec 9, 2018/File
Location : China
Duration : 2'44
Beijing, China - Dec 9, 2018 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Screenshot of China Media Group (CMG) commentary on chinaplus.cri.cn
FILE: Exact Location and Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
2. Various of photos of Meng Wanzhou, Chief Financial Officer of Huawei
3. Logo of Huawei
FILE: Beijing, China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
4. Various of gate to Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Beijing, China - Dec 9, 2018 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
5. Graphic showing quote from China Media Group (CMG) commentary
FILE: Exact Location and Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
6. Various of people at Huawei exhibition
FILE: Dubai, UAE - Oct 29, 2017 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
7. Huawei store in Dubai shopping mall
8. Huawei employee talking to customers
FILE: Seoul, South Korea - March 2018 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
9. Various of South Korean consumers trying Huawei smartphone
FILE: Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, south China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
10. Huawei logo on office building
FILE: Beijing, China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
11. Various of Huawei's 5G technology research, development base
Beijing, China - Dec 9, 2018 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
12. Graphic showing quote from China Media Group (CMG) commentary
FILE: Beijing, China - Nov 12, 2018 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
13. Various of China-Canada Economic and Financial Strategic Dialogue in progress
Beijing, China - Dec 9, 2018 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
14. Graphic showing quote from China Media Group (CMG) commentary
FILE: Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, south China - May, 2016 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
15. Showroom of 5G technology research center of Huawei Technologies
16. 5G logo
17. Screen showing 5G network in use
Beijing, China - Dec 9, 2018 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
18. Graphic showing quote from China Media Group (CMG) commentary by Gordon Houlden, director of Chinese Institute, University of Alberta
FILE: Ottawa, Canada - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
19. Canadian national flag
20. Canadian parliament building
FILE: Beijing, China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
21. Various of Tian'anmen Square, Chinese national flags
Canada's detention of Huawei's Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou is a move of political kidnapping, for which the Canadian government may have to take the consequences, according to a commentary published Sunday on the website of the China Radio International (CRI) under the China Media Group.
The following is an edited translation of the article:
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng urgently summoned Canadian Ambassador to China John McCallum on December 8, urging Canada to immediately release the Huawei executive, Meng Wanzhou, who was detained while changing planes in Vancouver at the request of the United States.
Canada's eagerness to jump to the frontline of a political kidnap is bewildering to the eyes of those who keep a close watch on international affairs.
Just a few months ago, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was openly criticizing the U.S. imposition of steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports for reasons of alleged national security: "Canadians, we're polite, we're reasonable, but we also will not be pushed around." His country launched retaliatory measures, including bringing the U.S. to the WTO panel, and slapping a 25 percent tariff on U.S. imports worth 12.6 billion U.S. dollars, starting on July 1. The international community commended Canada for standing up for its own interests.
However, the Canada that "will not be pushed around" has just now played the part of a dishonorable "pusher": its detention of the Huawei executive at the request of the U.S. is both despicable and unsettling.
One reader of Canada's biggest newspaper, the Globe and Mail, Alex Duhaney in Ottawa wrote: "I am deeply ashamed that our government would participate in the kidnap and ransom of a leader of a foreign company. This brazen act has brought dishonor to our current leadership, and placed at risk Canadians who are conducting business abroad."
Another reader in Victoria, British Columbia (the westernmost province of Canada) called Larry Hannant, wrote: "Recently re-imposed by the Trump administration in defiance of a prior United Nations Security Council agreement, the punishing blockade of Tehran has been widely condemned. Rather than doing 'the right thing,' Canada appears to have thrown itself willy-nilly into an international dispute on behalf of an isolated rogue administration intent on provoking conflict with most of the states of the world."
In recent years, some Western countries have been working tirelessly to defame Huawei, calling it a spy and a threat to information security. But Canada was different from other Western countries and had not barred this Chinese tech giant from participating in its crucial projects. Major Canadian telecom service providers all use Huawei-made products; BCE and Telus are working with Huawei on 5G networks; some Canadian universities also have forged partnerships with the Chinese company.
In recent months, the Canadian government, seeking to expand trade, has been in close contact with the Chinese side to promote negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement. After Canada, Mexico and the U.S. signed the NAFTA 2.0, there has been wide media coverage on the so-called "poison pill" provisions introduced by the U.S. As such, Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland called her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to reiterate Canada's resolve to promote the negotiation of free trade agreements with other countries. More than 70 Canadian experts have also drafted a report on how to circumvent the "poison pill" clauses and promote economic and trade relations with China. Last month, Canada's Finance Minister Bill Morneau and International Trade Diversification Minister Jim Carr were in Beijing to attend the first "China-Canada economic and financial strategy dialogue," which they jointly hosted with Chinese State Councilor Wang Yong. The Canadian government later stated that "the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening and expanding the Canada-China economic and trade relationship."
However, all these efforts and resulting grounds of cooperation have now been put in question by the arrest of the Chinese business executive. Gordon Houlden, director of the Chinese Institute at the University of Alberta, said, "the whole thing is a bad news story for us... The chances of the Canadian government allowing Huawei to become involved in the implementation of 5G technology in this country must now be very slim indeed. The Americans simply won't tolerate it. Conversely, the Chinese are unlikely to agree to sectoral free-trade negotiations, a Canadian goal."
Canadian internet users are distraught too, seeing as their cheap 5G data plans may go up in smoke. Many of them encourage the Canadian court and politicians to "stand on their hindlegs and deny the extradition of Meng Wanzhou to the U.S." After all, the so-called illicit activities are nothing but the invention of some politicians, whose sole purpose is to impede trade between other countries, corporations and individuals.
Hopefully, Canada's judiciary and government can themselves avoid becoming the victims of this politically-motivated kidnapping.
ID : 8097821
Published : 2018-12-09 18:50
Last Modified : 2018-12-11 10:17:00
Source : China Central Television (CCTV),China Global Television Network (CGTN)
Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland
More
