China will step up over Canada to free Huawei executive

China urged Canada to "reflect on its mistakes" and immediately release the Huawei executive detained since last year.

All this in the framework of the appointment of a new Canadian ambassador to China today.

Relations between China and Canada were severely damaged when Meng Wanzhou, financial director of Chinese tech giant Huawei and daughter of its founder, was arrested at Vancouver airport on December 1 at the request of the United States.

Geng Shuang, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said China hopes that the new envoy, Dominic Barton, can play an active role in returning the ties of both countries to a “normal route” and that the China's concerns.

Geng said that Canada is responsible for the tense relationship that exists between the two nations today.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau fired former Ambassador John McCallum after saying it would seem "cool" for the United States to withdraw his request for extradition from Meng, who is wanted by the United States on charges of fraud and is currently under house arrest in his Vancouver billionaire home.

In apparent retaliation less than two weeks after his arrest, China detained two Canadians on suspicion of stealing state secrets. Former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor have been denied access to lawyers and their families since December 10.

China has also imposed restrictions on several Canadian exports to China, including canola and meat.

In January, China sentenced a Canadian drug dealer to death in a new trial.

Barton, former CEO of the consulting firm McKinsey & Co. worked in Asia for 12 years and was a member of the board of directors of the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada. He was also an adjunct professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing, according to online biographies.

China has also named a new envoy to Canada, Cong Peiwu. Previously, Cong directed the office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for US affairs.