On May 19, the Global Affairs Canada released a readout regarding Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau's meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. It said "they looked to align efforts to address the challenges that China's actions present to the international rules-based order, including its coercive and unfair economic practices and human rights abuses", "they reiterated their commitment to secure the release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who have been arbitrarily detained in China since December 2018". These remarks are malicious attacks and smears on China, which disregard and distort facts, confuse right and wrong, and mislead the public. The Chinese side expresses its strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to it.

In the past years, the US has followed an "America first" approach, pulled out of multiple international agreements and organizations, severely undermined multilateralism. The US has become the biggest perpetrator undermining the existing international order. The US has been violating human rights while preaching the cause of human right. No one deserves the title of "coercion" better than the US, and no one can take this patent away from it. A practitioner of such behavior, the US has offered the world typical examples of what coercion diplomacy is through its policy and actions in pursuit of strategic goals by means of military threat, economic sanctions and technology blockade, which can be seen clearly by all. Canada disregards fairness and justice, confuses the right and wrong, and works by the US side and sinks as low as it does. Canada acts as an accomplice of the US, playing a very disgraceful role.

China is committed to an independent foreign policy of peace. We believe in the equality of all countries regardless of size. We are committed to advancing the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, and has been a promoter of world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of international order. International rules are not patents and privileges of a few countries. There is no room for exceptionalism and double standards. We uphold the UN-centered international system and the international order underpinned by international law. This represents the shared aspiration of all countries.

As we stressed repeatedly, China is a country with rule of law. Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor are suspected of crimes endangering China's national security. China's judicial authorities have been dealing with the cases independently and in strict accordance with law. There is no "arbitrary detention" at all. At the same time, Ms. Meng Wanzhou has been arbitrarily detained for two and a half years despite the fact that she hasn't violated any Canadian law. This is arbitrary detention in every sense of the term. Since both Canada and the US claim that they are against arbitrary detention, they should immediately release Ms. Meng, and ensure her early and safe return to China.

We urge Canada and the US to set aside cold war mentality and ideological bias, view China and China's development in an objective and rational light, stop attacking and smearing China, stop deceiving and misleading the public.