Canada announced on Monday May 8 the expulsion of a Chinese diplomat accused of intimidating a Canadian MP hostile to Beijing. In retaliation, China will expel Canada’s consul in Shanghai on Tuesday, May 9. These counter-announcements are the latest episode in relations between the two countries, which have deteriorated sharply in five years, as Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang embarks on a European tour among Canadian allies this week. release make the point

Arrest of Meng Wanzhou

Relations between Beijing and Ottawa began to deteriorate when Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei, in 2018 at the request of the United States.

After three years of house arrest in Vancouver, Meng Wanzhou, who is also the daughter of the Huawei founder, had regained her freedom and avoided extradition to the United States, who wanted to charge her with bank fraud and imposed Iran-related sanctions.

She has since taken over as the group’s rotating chair.

The two Michaels

Days after Meng Wanzhou’s arrest in 2018, two Canadians, businessman Michael Spavor and ex-diplomat Michael Kovrig, were arrested in China, in a move widely perceived as retaliatory at the time.

Meng Wanzhou and the two Canadians only returned to their respective countries after an agreement was reached between the American judiciary and the Huawei boss, in which she admitted to having done so “incorrect information”. The two Canadians are believed to have been in detention for more than 1,000 days.

The American judiciary finally dropped the case against Meng Wanzhou in December 2022.

The genocide of the Uyghurs

Ottawa’s growing criticism of China’s alleged human rights abuses has further soured relations between the two countries.

In 2021, Canadian lawmakers passed a non-binding motion that equated China’s treatment of its Uyghur minority with China “Genocide”angered Beijing, who called her a “malicious provocation”.

In February, the Canadian Parliament also voted to accept 10,000 Uyghur refugees who fled China and continue to live there “intimidated” from Beijing.

The battles of technology

In May 2022, the Canadian government announced it would ban Chinese telecom giants Huawei and ZTE from rolling out their 5G networks. Huawei had a. regrets “regrettable political decision” which could not be justified “Cybersecurity Reasons”.

In February, Canada joined the United States and the European Commission in banning the TikTok application, another Chinese flagship, from the mobile devices it gives its employees.

The Xi Trudeau Alienation

The climate of distrust between the two countries was revealed in a row between Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a G20 summit in Indonesia in November 2022.

Footage picked up by reporters showed Xi Jiping warmly but firmly rebuking Justin Trudeau after details of a meeting between the two men were allegedly leaked to the press the previous day. The Prime Minister of Canada said he spoke during that meeting “The Question of Interference” China in its democratic and legal system.

The expelled diplomats

Since then, relations have continued to deteriorate. Canada’s prime minister appointed a former governor-general in March to investigate allegations of Chinese interference in the last two federal elections. The media globe and mail recently published a scathing report saying the government ignored Beijing’s interference in Canadian affairs.

Conservative Canadian MP Michael Chong and his family are said to have come under Chinese pressure over the MP’s criticism of Beijing, particularly on the Uyghur issue. It was “Certainly to set an example for this MP and discourage other MPs from taking hostile positions.” to China, according to a Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) document released by the newspaper.

On Monday, Ottawa announced its decision to expel Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei, who is suspected of involvement in intimidation of MP Michael Chong. “As a mutual countermeasure” China has decided to expel Canadian consul in Shanghai, Jennifer Lynn.