China commutes Canadian's death sentence in sign of diplomatic thaw

China has overturned the death sentence of Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, a sign of diplomatic warming as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney seeks to strengthen trade ties with Beijing. This was reported by The Guardian, writes UNN.

Details

Schellenberg's lawyer, Zhang Dongshuo, in Beijing confirmed on Saturday that the decision to overturn the death sentence was announced on Friday by China's highest court. Schellenberg will now be retried by the Liaoning Provincial High People's Court, Zhang added. The date of the retrial has not yet been set.

Canadian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tida It said that Global Affairs Canada is aware of the Supreme People's Court of China's decision in Schellenberg's case and "will continue to provide consular services to Mr. Schellenberg and his family."

Schellenberg was detained on drug trafficking charges in 2014, and in 2018, Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou was detained in Vancouver, after which relations between China and Canada sharply deteriorated. This arrest angered Beijing, which detained two Canadians – Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig – on espionage charges, which Ottawa condemned as an act of revenge.

Then, in January 2019, a court in northeastern China reviewed Schellenberg's case, who was 36 at the time, and sentenced him to death, stating that a 15-year prison sentence for drug trafficking was too lenient. The court, in a one-day retrial, stated that he was a key figure in a scheme to supply drugs to Australia.

Carney, who is seeking to expand Canada's export markets and reduce trade dependence on the United States, visited China in January. He met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and heralded an improved era in relations, stating that the two countries had forged a "new strategic partnership" and a preliminary trade agreement.

Carney says that despite ongoing tensions, including accusations of Chinese interference in Canadian elections, Ottawa needs a functional relationship with Beijing to secure its economic future.

Global Affairs Canada did not comment on whether Carney's visit influenced the Chinese court's decision in Schellenberg's case.

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