China’s envoy to Canada urges against ‘decoupling’
- Ambassador Cong Peiwu pitches closer cooperation amid frayed relations over tit-for-tat arrests of a Huawei executive and two Canadian nationals
- China and the West have grown increasingly at odds over a wide array of issues, including Beijing’s crackdown on Hong Kong and Xinjiang
Beijing’s ambassador to Canada on Tuesday pushed back at growing calls in the West to disengage from China, saying this would risk unravelling globalisation.
Ambassador Cong Peiwu, speaking at the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations, also pitched closer cooperation with Canada – ostensibly an olive branch after two years of frayed diplomatic relations over tit-for-tat arrests of a Huawei executive and two Canadian nationals, or an attempt to hammer a wedge in a US-led alliance taking on Beijing.
“We are worried that because some people here in Western countries are preaching the idea of decoupling (with China),” the ambassador said. “This is dangerous, because for us, we believe this is the age of globalisation, and for us, we will continue to open up for the outside.”
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Second Canadian, Michael Kovrig, on trial behind closed doors in China on spying charges
China, now the world’s second-largest economy, and the West have grown increasing at odds over a wide array of issues, from trade and intellectual property to Beijing’s crackdown on Hong Kong and Xinjiang.
Canada in particular has drummed up support from allies to pressure China into releasing its two citizens, former diplomatic Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said the two were “arbitrarily detained” and tried on “trumped-up” espionage charges.
Cong warned that “decoupling” from China would lead to lost business opportunities and disrupt global supply chains.
