Photo: VCG

The Canadian government feels it is a victim of circumstances and not behind the predicament that befell Huawei CFO Meng Wangzhou, who was arrested at Vancouver airport. Canada and the US have a longstanding extradition treaty which is handled by lower-level officials; there are many cases every year. They handled it, as far as they are concerned, in a routine manner. But as the fallout of this was far from routine, some factors should have been taken into account. 

What are those factors? The arrest warrant for Meng, in some sense, is widely believed to be part of an American strategy to put pressure on China. At least we're given the circumstances on the timing that the Canadian government should have made a public statement, at least saying it is not taking sides in the trade dispute between China and the US, nor is it taking a position on Huawei. The Canadian government failed to make it clear from the beginning that it was not taking sides in the China-US trade dispute. It also did not say it was opposed to the spat and the methods the US used to pressure China. 

The subsequent arrest of the "two Michaels" (Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig) has poisoned the atmosphere in Canada and resulting public reaction is very negative. This has made the relationship between Canada and China worse, and it will be very difficult to go back to relations the way they were before, because it has undermined trust. And then the firing of the Canadian ambassador to China, all these seem to add to a more negative atmosphere in the relationship.

The opposition in Canada has come out even more strongly. They want an even more anti-China stance. The opposition is putting pressure on Canada to be even more forceful. They want stronger retaliation against restriction on canola imports and against meat exports.

Amid strained bilateral relations, the reaction of the Canadian government to try and work with US authorities and with allies to put pressure on China strengthens the perception in China that Canada was, from the beginning, taking sides with the US in the trade dispute, which in my view is counterproductive and makes the situation worse. 

Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Canada and China. The establishment of diplomatic relations was an internationally important event. It is frustrating to see the 50-year-old relationship slipping. 

Issues for people who want to improve relations between the two countries are where to start and how to start. Is there a way of putting Meng and the "two Michaels" issues aside and start? It's difficult at this point. 

China and Canada have to find some issues on which they can make modest cooperation with the general hope that the process, although slow, will go in the right direction. They do need to find some way to improve relations. Perhaps they may try to use the 50th anniversary of the establishment of relations to set some kind of new goal. The two countries should find a way to preserve this precious legacy handed down in this case by Pierre Trudeau, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's own father. 

The Trudeau government, perhaps not very wisely, hoped that at the G20 summit US President Donald Trump would solve the problem for Canada. It's clear that Trump did nothing for Canada, so it should stop hoping that the US or Trump will do something for it. They are the cause of the problem, not the solution. 

The Canadian side has for some time not paid sufficient attention to its relationship with Asia in general and China in particular. And that's not because it had an anti-China position. It's more like it has not tweaked its diplomacy to the reality of the new world. If the Canadian government machinery, not just the government itself but the bureaucracy and everything else, had better awareness of the importance of China in the world today and how important it is, the situation wouldn't have gone out of control. 

Canada is still too reliant on its old alliance relationships. When it encounters a problem, rather than try to deal directly with China, it wants to push its old allies to deal with it. That's a sign that Canada has not changed its diplomatic approach to China's newfound importance in the world today.

The article was compiled by Global Times reporters Yu Jincui and Bai Yunyi based on an interview with Jeremy Paltiel, professor of political science at Carleton University in Ottawa. yujincui@globaltimes.com.cn