FILE PHOTO: The Chinese language nationwide flag is seen in Beijing, China, April 29, 2020. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
BEIJING, China — China stated on Thursday it acted “in accordance with the regulation” regardless of condemnation from Canada over the execution of 4 Canadian residents in latest weeks.
Canada’s International Minister Melanie Joly advised reporters in Ottawa on Wednesday that China had executed 4 Canadian residents in latest weeks, defying pleas from Ottawa for leniency.
“We strongly condemn the executions that did occur in opposition to Canadians in China,” Joly stated.
She stated she was unable to debate particulars of the case because of privateness requests from the affected households.
Nonetheless, Beijing recommended on Thursday the Canadians had been convicted over narcotics offenses, saying “… combating drug crimes is the frequent duty of all international locations.”
“China is a rustic beneath the rule of regulation,” overseas ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning stated.
Beijing, she stated, “treats defendants of various nationalities equally with out discrimination” and “handles circumstances pretty in strict accordance with the regulation.”
China “protects the authentic rights of the events involved in addition to the consular rights of the Canadian facet, in accordance with the regulation,” Mao stated.
Beijing additionally defended the executions in a press release despatched to Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper.
“Drug-related crime is a extreme crime acknowledged worldwide as extraordinarily dangerous to society,” the embassy assertion stated.
“China all the time imposes extreme penalties on drug-related crimes and maintains a ‘zero tolerance’ angle in direction of the drug downside.”
Joly stated she and former prime minister Justin Trudeau, who left workplace final week, had requested China for leniency.
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China classifies loss of life penalty statistics as a state secret, though rights teams together with Amnesty Worldwide consider hundreds of persons are executed within the nation yearly.
Beijing stated this week a former Chinese language engineer had lately been sentenced to loss of life for leaking state secrets and techniques to a overseas energy.
Relations between Beijing and Ottawa have been tense lately.
The arrest of a senior Chinese language telecom govt on a US warrant in Vancouver in December 2018 and Beijing’s retaliatory detention of two Canadians on espionage expenses plunged relations right into a deep freeze.
Ties have been strained additional over allegations of Chinese language interference in Canadian elections in 2019 and 2021, expenses Beijing has denied.
Joly expelled a Chinese language diplomat in 2023 accused of concentrating on a Canadian opposition lawmaker who has been a vocal critic of the ruling Communist Get together in Beijing, in addition to his household.
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Ottawa has additionally criticized a safety crackdown in Hong Kong and China’s therapy of its Uyghur Muslim minority.
