China executes four Canadians, triggering international outrage

China has said it acted “in accordance with the law” implicit the execution of 4 Canadian citizens successful caller weeks.

Melanie Joly, Canada’s overseas minister, told reporters successful Ottawa connected Wednesday that China had defied pleas for leniency.

“We powerfully condemn the executions that did hap against Canadians successful China,” Joly said.

She said she was incapable to sermon details arsenic the victims’ families had requested privacy.

However, Beijing suggested connected Thursday the Canadians had been convicted implicit narcotics offences. “Combating cause crimes is the communal work of each countries,” Mao Ning, overseas ministry spokesman, said.

“China protects the morganatic rights of the parties acrophobic arsenic good arsenic the consular rights of the Canadian side, successful accordance with the law.”

Beijing besides defended the executions to Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper.

“Drug-related transgression is simply a terrible transgression recognised worldwide arsenic highly harmful to society,” its embassy said.

“China ever imposes terrible penalties connected drug-related crimes and maintains a ‘zero tolerance’ cognition towards the cause problem.”

Statistics a authorities secret

Joly said she and Justin Trudeau, the erstwhile premier curate who near bureau past week, had asked China for leniency.

China classifies decease punishment statistic arsenic a authorities secret, though rights groups including Amnesty International judge thousands of radical are executed successful the state each year.

Beijing said this week a erstwhile Chinese technologist had precocious been sentenced to decease for leaking authorities secrets to a overseas power.

The apprehension of a elder Chinese telecoms enforcement connected a US warrant successful Vancouver successful December 2018 and Beijing’s retaliatory detention of 2 Canadians connected espionage charges plunged relations into a heavy freeze.

Ties were strained further implicit allegations of Chinese interference successful Canadian elections successful 2019 and 2021.

In 2023, Joly expelled a Chinese diplomat who had been accused of targeting a Canadian absorption person who criticised the ruling Communist Party, arsenic good arsenic his family.

Ottawa has besides criticised a information crackdown successful Hong Kong and China’s attraction of its Uyghur Muslim minority.

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