Trudeau enlists Trump to seek release of Canadians detained by China
(The Star Food)

OTTAWA—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office says U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to “continue� to seek the release of two Canadians believed to be arbitrarily detained in China.According to his office, Trudeau spoke to Trump Monday about a handful of bilateral issues including steel and aluminum tariffs, the closure of GM plants in both countries, and Canada’s arrest of a Huawei executive in response to a U.S. extradition request that enraged China. The Dec. 1 arrest in Vancouver of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, wanted on fraud-related charges tied to Iran sanctions, was followed days later by China’s arrest of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor on unspecified national security allegations.A more-detailed-than-usual PMO readout of the Trudeau-Trump phone call suggests Trudeau made a case to Trump of the necessity of refraining from public comments that cast the Huawei case in a political framework. It said the two leaders discussed “an extradition request made of Canada by the United States.�“They reaffirmed the importance of respecting judicial independence and the rule of law,� said the PMO release. Read more:13 Canadians detained in China since arrest of Huawei executive in Vancouver, officials reveal‘Hundreds’ of Canadians held by China raises the stakes for Trudeau’s governmentMan formerly detained in China recalls appalling experienceIt went on to say Trudeau thanked Trump “for the strong statements of support by the United States in response to the arbitrary detention of two Canadians in China.�To date, Trump has not personally made any statement calling for the release of the Canadians. Only Trump’s Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lent his voice to Canada’s concerns last month. Governments in France, Australia, Britain and the European Union have since also backed Canada’s concern the men’s detention is in retaliation for the arre ...