TORONTO FRI 25 JAN 19
Fifty-six days ago, United States federal prosecutors enforced their rights under the Canada-U.S. Extradition Treaty and demanded that Canada arrest Huawei chief Mrs. Meng on United States federal charges of Bank Fraud. The Government of Canada honoured its treaty obligation to the United States and arrested Mrs. Meng. After a preliminary hearing, she was released on bail under House Arrest to her Vancouver mansion, wearing an ankle bracelet and monitored by private security,, at her own expense.
China blamed Canada and took two hostages, the former Canadian diplomat who arranged Justin Trudeau's visit to China, and the travel agent who arranged for Dennis Rodman to travel to North Korea. Canada refused to trade Mrs. Meng for China's Canadian hostages. China then "re-tried" a third Canadian who'd been sentenced to 15 years (for smuggling Chinese crystal meth to Australia concealed in a shipment of Chinese truck tires), and "re-sentenced" the Canadian convict to death (to be confirmed by the Chinese Supreme Court unless Canada released Mrs. Meng).
It then came to Canada's attention (by whatever means) that the American President was negotiating with the Chinese leader, and could possibly order the U.S. federal prosecutors to "miss the 60-day deadline" (nudge, wink), allowing Mrs. Meng to go free in return for Chinese concessions in the China-U.S. Trade War (U.S. pork and soybeans). This would kill two birds with one stone: the President could extract economic value from China, and also make Justin Trudeau lose the October 2019 election, by making him look weak and incompetent to the Canadian people.
The Canadian Ambassador to China (former Jean Chretien senior cabinet minister John McCallum, who both looks and sounds like Elmer Fudd) then flew 500 miles from Ottawa and called a press conference in Markham, Ontario with Chinese-language media, telling them Mrs. Meng had a good chance of winning her fair and just Canadian extradition hearing, even offering three possible defences Mrs. Meng's lawyers could use in court.
All hell broke loose. The Chinese foreign press spread the story all over China via Hong Kong, bypassing the Chinese state media and censors.
The United States was then forced to follow through with their extradition request, the President couldn't sell Canada out for America-first advantage with China, and Justin Trudeau couldn't be blamed by the Canadian Conservatives in the October election for botching the Canada-China relationship.
Ambassador John McCallum then "apologized" (nudge, wink) in his best Elmer Fudd fashion for causing general uproar ("wabbit season"), and explained that he "mis-spoke". (Nyaah, what's up, Doc?)
If anyone believes that the Canadian Ambassador to China would fly 500 miles from Ottawa to Markham and call that Chinese foreign press conference on his own, I have a Brooklyn Bridge you might like to buy.
And *that* is the *rest* of the story.
-- Will Morningstar, DI Toronto
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Filed with thanks to Carl and Frank, and my American friends at
www.conservativecave.com***BOOM***
