President, Xi Jinping
A Chinese court sentenced a Canadian national to death
on Thursday in a ruling that could further inflame tensions between
China and Canada.
The Guangzhou Intermediate Court said in a statement it had
handed Xu Weihong a death sentence for manufacturing drugs, and
said all his personal property would be confiscated.
According to China’s state-run Global Times, Xu had bought raw
materials and tools for drug production in October 2016 and worked
with an accomplice, Wen Guanxiong, to make ketamine.
The drugs were made in Wen’s home and stored in Xu’s residence
in Guangzhou, with public security officers seizing over 120
kilogrammes of ketamine from the pair, the report added.
The ruling comes after China sentenced two other Canadians to
death on drug trafficking charges last year, and as tensions soar
between the two countries on a number of fronts including the
arrest of top Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou.
Beijing has also detained two Canadian nationals, including a
former diplomat, on spying charges, in a move widely considered
retaliation for Meng’s arrest in Canada.
The United States wants Meng extradited to face trial on charges
related to the Chinese telecom equipment maker’s alleged violations
of US sanctions against Iran.
On Thursday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told
a regular briefing that “Chinese judicial organs handle all
criminals of different nationalities according to law”.
Referring to the latest case involving Xu, Wang added: “I don’t
think this should have any impact on China-Canada relations.”
Diplomatic tensions
Diplomatic relations between Canada and China have deteriorated
over China’s arrests and Meng’s case, damaging trade between both
countries.
Canadian pleas for clemency for its citizens previously
sentenced on drug charges, Robert Lloyd Schellenberg and Fan Wei,
have so far not been successful.
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8, 2019, Turnisa Matsedik-Qira, of the Vancouver Uyghur
Association, demonstrates against China’s treatment of Uighurs
while holding a photo of detained Canadians Michael Spavor (L) and
Michael Kovrig outside a court appearance for Huawei Chief
Financial Officer, Meng Wanzhou at the British Columbia Supreme
Court in Vancouver. Jason Redmond / AFP
Meanwhile, in June Beijing formally charged the other pair of
detained Canadians — ex-diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman
Michael Spavor — for spying, in a move that came just weeks after a
key ruling in the Meng case.
A Canadian judge had ruled that proceedings to extradite her to
the United States will go ahead.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed disappointment with the
formal charges in June, renewing calls for their release.
Monthly consular visits for Kovrig and Spavor have been
suspended since the coronavirus outbreak started in China as well,
sparking concerns over their health.
Although China’s foreign ministry insisted the pair were in good
health, people familiar with the matter have told AFP they endured
hours of interrogation and in the first six months of detention
were forced to sleep with the lights on.
China keeps data secret about the number of death sentences it
carries out every year.
But according to Amnesty International, China is the world’s top
executioner, with thousands believed to be killed each year.
AFP
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