China urges release of Huawei exec with new Canadian envoy

Associated Press
Updated

BEIJING (AP) — China has urged Canada to "reflect on its mistakes" and immediately release a Huawei executive detained in Vancouver.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the comments Thursday following the appointment of a new Canadian ambassador to China.

Geng said he hoped the envoy, Dominic Barton, will play an active role in improving ties, which he said are "facing serious difficulties."

Relations between China and Canada were severely damaged when Meng Wanzhou — an executive at Chinese tech giant Huawei and the daughter of its founder — was arrested at Vancouver's airport on Dec. 1 at the request of the U.S.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau fired the previous ambassador after he said it would be "great" if the U.S. dropped its extradition request for Meng.