This archive report was first published on 29 November 2019.
Published on November 29, 2019, Chinese Ambassador Cong Peiwu visited Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at her mansion in Vancouver, where she is under house arrest pending an extradition trial scheduled to start in January.
Cong Peiwu stated that Beijing is determined to protect the just and legitimate rights and interests of its citizens and enterprises, and will continue to urge the Canadian side to correct its mistake and take measures to solve the issue as soon as possible.
"We expect (Meng) to go back to China safe and sound at an early date," he said.
Meng's arrest in December 2018 triggered an escalating diplomatic row between Canada and China, which has led to the detention of two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, and the blocking of billions of dollars worth of Canadian canola and meat shipments.
Canada has enlisted the support of its allies to press for the release of its two citizens, with new Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne calling their release an "absolute priority" during a meeting with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at a G20 meeting in Japan.
However, Cong Peiwu told Canadian media that Meng's release is a "precondition" for improved relations between the two countries.
