This is the first time in Canadian diplomatic history that a prime minister has dismissed an ambassador. "The dismissal disorganized Ottawa's strategy to overcome tensions with Beijing", said Colin Robertson, former diplomat and vice president of the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute. His opinion has been cited by Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail.
"The Canadian government decided to throw the ambassador under the bus. He should be happy with his release from the shackles", said John Higginbotham, an expert whose diplomatic career included working in Beijing and Hong Kong as quoted by Canadian newspaper Global News. The current crisis in Canada's relations with China is systematic in nature. Ottawa is vulnerable to both pressure from the US and China, it is deeply rooted in its mentality, the expert noted.
The firing of Canada's ambassador has also elicited a certain number of comments from media outlets across the globe. They have, in particular, noted that the ambassador had embarrassed the liberal government of Justin Trudeau, saying that Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou could come up with serious arguments against her extradition to the United States.
READ MORE: Canada PM Asks for Ambassador to China Resignation Amid Ottawa-Beijing Tensions
"The Canadian ambassador is a little man caught in the wheels of a huge machine, a big game — a trade war between the United States and China", Igor Shatrov said.
Yang Mian, an expert at the Chinese Institute of Mass Communications believes that the ambassador's dismissal has dealt a serious blow to Canada's image.
"The Canadian ambassador expressed his point of view. He told the truth, which caused strong pressure on him in the country, resulting in his dismissal. The Trudeau government had to do this in order to, among other things, defuse the controversy surrounding his statements. On one hand, this is a choice made by the Canadian government under US political pressure. On the other hand, this may be a way for Canada to assert so-called ‘political correctness'. At the same time, the incident has exposed the differences in the Canadian government: many do not agree with the position of the government in the scandal around Meng Wanzhou".
"The ambassador's firing can only worsen the foreign policy image of Canada. Canada serves the political interests of the United States, interacting with the United States to curb the development of China's advanced telecommunications company, thereby restraining China's continued growth".
READ MORE: US to Pursue Extradition of Huawei CFO From Canada — Justice Dep't
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