TORONTO: The US ambassador to Canada said Saturday her country is 鈥渄eeply concerned鈥� about China鈥檚 鈥渦nlawful鈥� detention of two Canadians.
Ambassador Kelly Craft said in a statement to The Associated Press the arrests of ex-diplomat Michael Kovrig and entrepreneur Michael Spavor are 鈥渦nacceptable鈥� and urged China to end the arbitrary detentions. It is her first public comments on the cases.
China detained the two Canadians on Dec. 10 in an apparent attempt to pressure Canada to release Chinese executive Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested Dec. 1 at the request of US authorities.
Meng is the chief financial officer of the Chinese tech giant Huawei and the daughter of its founder.
The US wants her extradited to face charges that she committed fraud by misleading banks about Huawei鈥檚 business dealings in Iran.
Craft said the US Department of Justice鈥檚 criminal case against Meng is based solely on the evidence and the law.
鈥淭he United States appreciates Canada鈥檚 steadfast commitment to the rule of law,鈥� she said.
Craft made no mention of China鈥檚 planned execution of a third Canadian. China re-sentenced a convicted Canadian drug smuggler to death after the Meng arrest as part of an apparent campaign of intimidation and retribution against Canada.
Some analysts have said the US response to China鈥檚 arrests of the two Canadians has been muted. President Donald Trump himself has not commented on the Canadians. But US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has, saying China ought to release them. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders and the State Department have also issued statements of support.
鈥淲e urge China to end all forms of arbitrary and unlawful detentions and to respect the protections and freedoms of all individuals in accordance with China鈥檚 international commitments,鈥� Craft said.
Robert Bothwell, a professor at the University of Toronto, called Craft鈥檚 statement 鈥渢epid.鈥�
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 bespeak ringing support,鈥� Bothwell said.
Beijing threatened grave consequences for America鈥檚 neighbor and ally after Meng was arrested at Vancouver鈥檚 airport.
Canada has embarked on a campaign with allies to win the release of Kovrig and Spavor and many countries have issued statements in support.
The two were detained on vague allegations of 鈥渆ngaging in activities that endanger the national security鈥� of China. They remain locked up without access to lawyers.
Meng is out on bail in Canada and living in one of her two Vancouver mansions awaiting extradition proceedings.
Despite the escalating frictions resulting from the detentions, trade talks between Beijing and the Trump administration remain ongoing.
The US has taken pains to emphasize that their trade talks are entirely separate from the US case against Meng. They have been doing so since Trump said in an interview that he might be willing to drop the charges against Meng as part of a trade deal with China.
Trump鈥檚 comment frustrated Canadian officials who have been adamant Canada is following the rule of law and that Canada has an extradition treaty it must respect. A Canadian judge could deny the extradition request if it the charges are deemed political.
鈥淭he next time the US asks Canada will be hard of hearing,鈥� Bothwell said. 鈥淭rouble with Trump and company is that they are entirely transactional. They don鈥檛 think ahead. And in this case Trump鈥檚 own words will probably be enough to get the US extradition request denied.鈥�