Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is defending the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou by Canadian authorities, saying Canada can’t pick and choose when it follows the rule of law.
And the prime minister says other countries must stand up to China to ensure it also follows international rules and stops trying to throw its weight around to get what it wants.
Trudeau was responding to questions at the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum, where he and China’s premier Xi Jinping will join other leaders from around the Pacific Rim on Friday for virtual talks about trade.
Those questions included whether he regretted that Canadian border authorities detained Meng in December 2018 because she was wanted in the U.S. on fraud charges, to which he replied: “Absolutely not.”
Trudeau, who will also see the Chinese leader during the weekend’s G20 summit being hosted by Saudi Arabia, said Joe Biden’s election as U.S. president is not a panacea for the many challenges currently facing the United States and the world.
Rather, he said national leaders need to better understand the many fears and anxieties gripping everyday people around the world, which includes ensuring free trade and globalization benefit those people while addressing climate change.
