Canada has strongly condemned China’s execution of four Canadian citizens on drug smuggling charges earlier this year, Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly announced on Wednesday.
Joly revealed that all four individuals held dual citizenship and stated that Ottawa would appeal for leniency for other Canadians facing the death penalty in China.
"There are four Canadians that have been executed, and we are strongly condemning what happened," Joly told reporters, confirming they had been convicted on drug-related charges.
The Canadian Foreign Ministry clarified that Robert Schellenberg, a Canadian sentenced to death in 2019 for drug smuggling, had not been executed.
Canada-China relations have remained strained since 2018 when Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s Chief Financial Officer, was arrested in Vancouver at the request of the Trump administration. In response, China detained two Canadian nationals. All three were released in 2021.
Earlier this month, Beijing imposed tariffs on more than U.S. $2.6 billion worth of Canadian agricultural and food products. The move was a response to Ottawa’s levies on Chinese electric vehicles, steel, and aluminum products last year.
The Chinese embassy in Ottawa rejected Canada’s criticism, calling it an "irresponsible remark."
"China imposes severe penalties on drug-related crimes and maintains a 'zero tolerance' policy towards the drug problem," the embassy said in a statement, without confirming the executions.
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday ending the U.S. sanctions programme on Syria, the White House confirmed....
President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Monday formally ending U.S. sanctions on Syria, in a major foreign policy reversal th...
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Two Azerbaijani brothers killed in a Russian security raid in Yekaterinburg are being returned home, sparking outrage and urgent calls for justice ami...
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U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday ending the U.S. sanctions programme on Syria, the White House confirmed.
President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Monday formally ending U.S. sanctions on Syria, in a major foreign policy reversal that follows a series of diplomatic overtures between Washington and Damascus.
Türkiye will host the 2026 NATO leaders summit in Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Monday, saying the country is preparing the groundwork for what he described as “very important” decisions.
Two Azerbaijani brothers killed in a Russian security raid in Yekaterinburg are being returned home, sparking outrage and urgent calls for justice amid allegations of abuse and ethnic profiling.
The U.S. economy faces a 40% risk of recession in the second half of 2025, JP Morgan analysts said on Wednesday, citing rising tariffs and stagflation concerns.
China has ramped up efforts to protect communities impacted by flood control measures, introducing stronger compensation policies and direct aid from the central government.
Severe rain in Venezuela has caused rivers to overflow and triggered landslides, sweeping away homes and collapsing a highway bridge, with five states affected and no casualties reported so far.
A malfunction in the radar transmission system at the Area Control Center in Milan suspended more than 300 flights at the weekend, across northwest Italy since Saturday evening according to Italy's air traffic controller Enav (National Agency for Flight Assistance).
Thousands of protesters rallied in Bangkok on Saturday, demanding Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra resign as political and economic tensions mount.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday approved the disbursement of an additional $500 million to Ukraine, following the completion of its eighth review under the country’s $15.5 billion Extended Fund Facility.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday publicly criticized AT&T for technical issues that disrupted a national conference call with faith leaders, urging the company’s leadership to address the situation and suggesting his administration may turn to a different carrier in future communications.
France, Spain, Kenya, and several other nations announced on Monday a joint pledge to tax premium-class airline passengers and private jet users, in a move aimed at raising billions of dollars for climate action and sustainable development.
An oil tanker carrying one million barrels of crude oil exploded near the Libyan coast, Bloomberg reported on 30 June.
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday ending the U.S. sanctions programme on Syria, the White House confirmed.
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