Out of Pure Spite

"One would hope that at this point, with Meng home, China would see no further point in threatening to execute [Robert] Schellenberg."

"It would be seen as killing someone out of pure spite."

Donald Clarke, expert on Chinese legal system, George Washington University

 

"I'm pretty sure that Ambassador [Dominic] Barton must have raised the case of Schellenberg."

"[But] I would not be surprised if the Chinese took advantage of the situation to ask a few things from Canada."

Guy Saint-Jacques, (former) Canadian ambassador to China

 

"In the two Michaels' case, Canada had the U.S. as leverage. It didn't have anything else. But for Schellenberg, it doesn't have any leverage. So I don't know what we can do."

"China would expect something in return [for sparing the Canadian's life]. I don't feel we should be offering much in return."

Wei Cui, professor, expert, Chinese legal system, University of British Columbia 

Canadian Robert Schellenberg during his retrial on drug trafficking charges in Dalian, China, January 14, 2019. Photo by Handout/Intermediate Peoples' Court of Dalian/AFP/Getty Images

Meng Wanzhou, the CFO of Huawei and its founder's daughter has now been released by a Canadian court, no longer held for extradition to the United States on a state department warrant for misleading a U.S. bank on Huawei's ties to a company that broke American sanctions against Iran, as a result of an arranged plea bargain where she admitted guilt, but would not face a trial, charges dropped. She is back in China, feted for her courage in luxuriating in one of her Vancouver mansions.

The two Canadians, former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor have also been released from their 11-year sentences for 'espionage', arrested and imprisoned the week that Ms.Meng was detained, in a blatant display of Beijing's embrace of 'hostage-diplomacy'. While they were in the custody of the benevolent Chinese prison system for almost three years, the Liberal government of Justin Trudeau did nothing to counter China's belligerent aggression.

PM Trudeau saw his prized aspiration for a trade deal with China evaporate long before this episode in a trip to China where he expected to sign a trade deal, and was summarily dismissed by China's vice-president and sent packing. During the recent Canadian federal election campaign in mid-September, China blatantly interfered with the election, with explicit warnings delivered by China's ambassador to Canada that election of a Conservative-led government would cost Canada dearly.

The Liberal government hesitates to enrage China by taking steps to counter its hostile punishment of Canadians and the Canadian export-to-China market. A decision whether or not to allow Huawei to take part in Canada's 5G upgrade, has been delayed in the wake of Beijing's warnings that Huawei should be a player. Canada, as one of the members of the "Five-Eyes" security/intelligence group comprised of Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and United States is the only member that has yet to exclude Huawei from Canada's networks.

Canada's telecommunications companies have themselves taken the initiative, shunning Huawei materials, opting for international competitors to take its place in their communications networks. The shoe has not yet been dropped. And there are consequences. There are other Canadians in Chinese prisons; Huseyincan Celil, a Chinese-born Uyghur arrested on a trip to Uzbekistan, extradited to China and sentenced on charges of espionage to life in prison.

Another is Robert Schellenberg who appealed his 15-year sentence for drug smuggling only to see the justice authorities summarily change his sentence to execution. Another blow to Canada through abuse of yet another Canadian citizen meant to persuade Canada to see the error of its ways. It doesn't help his case that Schellenberg had a record in Abbotsford, British Columbia as a drug dealer. Formerly an oilsands worker, he spent two years in a Canadian prison for trafficking cocaine and heroin.

He was arrested on a trip to China where he states he was set up by a translator, arrested and prosecuted for involvement in smuggling 200 kilograms of crystal meth to Australia. He appealed his death sentence just as he had appealed his original 15-year-imprisonment sentence, and to no avail; it was upheld on appeal a month ago. He would not be the only Canadian executed under China's drug laws in the past.

And there are three other Canadian citizens facing death for drug offences. The Supreme People's Court  reviews all death sentences prior to being carried out, but the court almost always confirms executions. There is irony here aside from the fact that Beijing has struck out on so many fronts to punish Canada for its arrogance in upholding Western law and justice. 

 

The world outside China is reeling under the onslaught not only of the Wuhan virus, but lab-produced opioids courtesy of China. Fentanyl and Carfentanil are cutting a swath of death-by-overdose, picking up the slack any time SARS-CoV-2 recedes.

Canadian Robert Schellenberg during his retrial on drug trafficking charges in Dalian, China, January 14, 2019. Photo by Handout/Intermediate Peoples' Court of Dalian/AFP/Getty Images