BEIJING, Dec 11, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – China’s foreign minister warned Tuesday
against the “bullying” of any Chinese citizen, amid a diplomatic fracas over
the arrest of a Huawei executive on a US warrant in Canada.
Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of telecommunications behemoth
Huawei, was on December 1 arrested in Vancouver on US fraud charges related
to sanctions-breaking dealings with Iran, infuriating China.
“The safety and security of Chinese compatriots are our priority, China
will never sit idly by and ignore any bullying that violates the legitimate
rights and interests of Chinese citizens,” Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a
speech in Beijing, without directly referring to the Huawei case.
“We will fully safeguard the legitimate rights of Chinese citizens and
return fairness and justice to the world,” he said at the opening of a
diplomatic symposium.
The detention has raised tensions following a truce in the US-China trade
war, with Beijing summoning both the Canadian and US ambassadors over the
weekend.
Meng, who faces a possible extradition to the United States, is seeking
her release on bail from a court in Vancouver.
China has accused Canada of treating Meng in an “inhumane” manner, citing
reports in Chinese state-run media alleging she was not given adequate
medical care.
Beijing has also claimed that the Chinese embassy was not immediately
notified of her arrest.
“The Canadian government did not do this and the Chinese government
learned this through other channels,” foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said
at a daily briefing.
In his speech, Wang also touched on tensions with the US, calling on
Washington to stop seeing trade between the countries as a “zero-sum game”.
“Take a more positive look at China’s development, and constantly expand
the space and prospects for mutual benefit,” he said.
“There is no need to artificially create new opponents, and an even
greater need to avoid self-fulfilling prophecies.”