China has executed four Canadian citizens in recent months, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said Wednesday. Such executions of Western nationals are considered rare.
Joly stated that both she and former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had personally appealed for clemency in the drug-related cases involving the dual citizens.
Beijing’s embassy in Ottawa defended the executions, citing drug crimes as the reason and emphasizing that China does not recognize dual citizenship.
“We strongly condemn the executions,” Joly told reporters in Ottawa. “I asked personally for leniency … They were all dual citizens.”
She reiterated that Canada consistently advocates for clemency for its citizens facing the death penalty abroad. At the request of the families, the government has not disclosed the identities of the four individuals.
Ongoing Consular Efforts
Global Affairs spokeswoman Charlotte MacLeod stated that the government continues to provide consular assistance to the families and urged the media to respect their privacy. She also confirmed that Ottawa remains engaged in advocating for clemency for Robert Schellenberg, a Canadian sentenced to death for drug smuggling in China.
“China always imposes severe penalties on drug-related crimes,” a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy said. “The facts of the crimes committed by the Canadian nationals involved in the cases are clear, and the evidence is solid and sufficient.”
China is believed to execute more prisoners annually than all other countries combined, though the total number remains a state secret. While executions in China were traditionally carried out by gunshot, lethal injection has been introduced in recent years.
Growing Diplomatic Strains
The Chinese embassy asserted that Beijing “fully guaranteed the rights and interests of the Canadian nationals concerned” and called on Canada to “stop making irresponsible remarks.”
Tensions between the two nations have been rising. Earlier this month, China imposed retaliatory tariffs on certain Canadian agricultural and food imports.
The move followed Canada’s decision in October to levy duties on Chinese-made electric vehicles, steel, and aluminum products. These measures have added to global trade tensions as the United States, China, Canada, and Mexico continue rounds of tariff-related actions.
Canada and China
“China is sending us a message that we have to take steps if we want to see an improvement in the relationship,” said Guy Saint-Jacques, a former Canadian ambassador to China.
Ian Brodie, former chief of staff to ex-Prime Minister Stephen Harper, commented on social media that “agricultural tariffs weren’t the worst part of the PRC response to EV tariffs.”
Conservative opposition lawmaker Michael Chong condemned the executions, stating, “Executing a number of Canadians in short order is unprecedented, and is clearly a sign that Beijing has no intention of improving relations with Canada.”
Longstanding Tensions
China remains Canada’s second-largest trading partner, but diplomatic relations have been strained since 2018, when Canadian authorities arrested former Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at the request of the United States, which had charged her with fraud.
Shortly after Meng’s arrest, China detained two Canadian citizens in what many nations viewed as retaliation. The two were released in 2021, the same day Meng returned to China after reaching a deal with U.S. authorities.
Many countries condemned China’s move as “hostage politics,” while Beijing maintained that the charges against Huawei and Meng were politically motivated efforts to hinder China’s economic and technological advancement.
Amnesty International Condemns Executions
Amnesty International strongly denounced the executions, noting that China carried out thousands of capital punishments in 2023 alone.
“These shocking and inhumane executions of Canadian citizens by Chinese authorities should be a wake-up call for Canada,” said Ketty Nivyabandi, Amnesty International’s head for English-speaking Canada, in a statement Wednesday.
