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Ottawa's criticism of human-rights record threatens political relations, official warns
BRIAN LAGHI AND JEFF SALLOT

From Friday's Globe and Mail

OTTAWA — A senior Chinese official issued a sober warning to the Harper government yesterday over its criticism of his country's human-rights policies, saying Canada's trade and political relationships with China are falling behind.

"The economic relationship goes hand in hand with the political relationship," said He Yafei, the country's assistant minister of foreign affairs for North America.

"We need to have a sound political basis of mutual trust for the economic relationship to flourish. That's why we need to work harder to improve mutual trust."

The remarks came in a rare interview as Canada continued to express deep concern over the fate of a dual Canadian-Chinese citizen, Huseyin Celil, who is jailed in China.

Yesterday, seated on a couch in a small room at an Ottawa hotel, Mr. He issued assurances that Mr. Celil will not be executed, and denied reports that Mr. Celil has been tortured. He added, however, that the Chinese government has no obligation to inform Canadian diplomats of Mr. Celil's next court date because the country does not recognize dual citizenships. Mr. Celil was in court last week accused of terrorist activities, but no Canadian diplomats were present.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper raised the Celil case in a recent meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao while the two leaders were in Vietnam for a meeting of APEC.

It was the latest in a series of irritants that has included a decision by Secretary of State for Multiculturalism Jason Kenney to meet with the Dalai Lama, accusations that China is spying on Canadian corporations and a delay in talks on a strategic partnership the two countries signed two years ago.

In the interview with The Globe and Mail and CTV, Mr. He said that, although he believes the difficulties are temporary, there are clouds on the horizon.

"I cannot say Canada is squandering [the relationship] now, but in practical terms Canada is lagging behind in its relations with China," he said.

"Trade is growing, but not fast enough. Investment is growing, but not fast enough. The overall relationship has room for improvement."

Without a strong political relationship, long-term investments might suffer, he said.

"People need to have confidence in the country they are going to do business with."

The nations need to respect each other while the irritants are discussed, he said.

Mr. He, who conversed easily in English and spoke without a translator, was in Canada for meetings with bureaucratic counterparts. He began his trip in Vancouver this week. He said the two countries have a deep-rooted and close relationship, but both need to do a "better job of PR, letting people know what kind of relationship we have.

"We are determined to move ahead despite some difficulties we are experiencing lately. But it's temporary."

He added that he expected that talks on the Strategic Partnership would be pursued further later this year.

In the House of Commons yesterday, Liberals said the Conservative government's cold war with China is ruining any chance to get Mr. Celil sprung from prison.

Liberal MP Dan McTeague said it is impossible for the government to stand up for Mr. Celil when the Chinese view Mr. Harper as "something of a bumbling cold warrior."

Instead of treating China with respect, Mr. McTeague said, the government "views Canada's second-largest trading partner with such blatant suspicion and contempt."

But Mr. Harper shot back that the Liberals themselves have a poor record of standing up for the rights of Canadians imprisoned abroad, citing the case of Maher Arar.

The Liberals have a say-nothing, do-nothing diplomatic approach toward foreign countries holding Canadian prisoners, Mr. Harper said. The Liberals would "take no action, just like they did with Mr. Arar, and every single Canadian citizen they just forgot about when they were in office."

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Canadian diplomats have been urging the Chinese to forget the dispute about Mr. Celil's citizenship and treat this as a humanitarian case, a senior federal official said.

Mr. Celil was born in China and immigrated to Canada. He was travelling on his Canadian passport when Uzbek authorities arrested him and deported him to China.

Mr. He said China has assured Uzbekistan that Mr. Celil will not be executed. He also refuted allegations that Mr. Celil had been tortured.

"We have given assurances to Uzbekistan. That assurance will stand."

He added that China would inform Canadian authorities after the verdict on Mr. Celil comes down.

"Of course, as a courtesy, we will brief your embassy officials, but as a matter of courtesy, not as a matter of obligation," he said.

Foreign Minister Peter MacKay, who raised the case during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart at the United Nations last year, was assured that the Chinese would not impose the death penalty and would keep Canada abreast of developments in the case as a humanitarian gesture, the senior federal official said. The official spoke anonymously because of the diplomatic and political sensitivity of the case.

"So our people are reminding Chinese [diplomatic] officials of what their foreign minister promised," the official said.

Mr. McTeague and his Liberal colleague, Marlene Jennings, argued that the government would have much more influence with the Chinese if the Conservatives hadn't started on poor political footing with Beijing.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net