The court in Vancouver gives Ms Meng of Huawei bail ahead of her extradition hearing. This leaves Beijing taken by surprise and with a small bad-timing problem. Following several days’ intense ranting and threats to make Canada pay for its impertinence, the Chinese regime had, just moments before, arrested a Canadian former diplomat now working with an NGO. (We will assume he is innocent of any wrongdoing.)
The Vancouver court’s decision renders this classic act of clumsy infantile Communist retribution superfluous, premature, embarrassing and generally awkward.
Do the Chinese now hurriedly drop Michael Kovrig with gruff mumblings about a routine check/misunderstanding/nothing to see here? Or do they teach uppity little Canada to love and obey the Middle Kingdom by keeping him hostage on some open-ended flimsy pretext, with the implied threat that he will eventually suffer however much Meng does? Or do they just move straight on to the torture and televised forced confession out of pique and to satisfy the domestic audience they have hyped-up and fear so much?
And what do they do with him if Meng vanishes and reappears back in China (as some China skeptics rather hope she does, as a way to convince remaining naïve waverers out there that they are not dealing with a regime of honorable gentlemen to the manor born)?
Yet another great moment in meritocratic Chinese Communist Party leaders’ mystical powers of deep oriental long-term strategic thinking.
I was going to say ‘better late than never’ – but actually ‘slipping rather adroitly onto the bandwagon’, the South China Morning Post acknowledges that Xi Jinping is getting China into deep doo-doo reputationally. For years, the Beijing regime made a point of being boring enough to ignore, while assiduously grooming Panda-huggers (with girls and cash at your hotel room door if necessary). Now this conceited and probably rather uncultivated clot is pouring it all down the drain, possibly additionally unnerved by another conceited and uncultivated clot in the White House.
I declare the week half-over with a look at Xi-as-disaster – ‘Boot-licking in Beijing’.
> Do the Chinese now hurriedly drop Michael Kovrig with gruff mumblings about a routine check/misunderstanding/nothing to see here?
As usual, they just claim victory and world domination domestically while “not commenting on pending judicial proceedings” internationally.
This case has revealed some interesting new shoe-shining techniques: pledging your house as bail, turning up at court with superfluous cheques, etc. It could be the Big Thing in 2019.
Another day,
Another dollar.
Another day,
Another anti-China holler.
And yesterday you were doing so well…sigh.
Peep, peep!
Another day,
Another dollar.
Another day,
Another anti-China holler.
And yesterday you were doing so well…sigh.
Pip, pip!
Sabrina and the Seven Passports
Are you going to Hong Kong?
It’s rather cold this week,
Better take some woollen clothes,
And, Sabrina – here’s a passport.
Are you going to Mexico?
Tortilla, salsa, enchilada,
What an exciting place to go!
Sabrina – here’s a passport.
Are you going to Australia?
They don’t like Huawei much.
I hope the trip won’t be a failure.
Sabrina – here’s a passport.
Are you going to New Zealand?
They don’t like Huawei either.
Another difficult 5G land.
Sabrina – here’s a passport.
Going to the USA
On Iranian business?
No, you’d better keep away.
Sabrina – here’s a passport.
Are you going to Vancouver?
A friendly, pleasant place.
I’m sure you won’t have any bother.
Sabrina – here’s a passport.
Have they let you out on bail,
Free to roam the city?
Wah, you’re such a lucky girl!
And, Sabrina – here’s a passport.
“We will assume he is innocent of any wrongdoing.”
Of course we will. Just as we will assume Ms Meng is innocent. That is one of the foundations of the legal system, even in Canada.
Another day,
Another docta.
Another day,
Yet another despotic, dotty holler
On your bike… You Stanley guttersnipe – sigh!
This alleged criminal holds HK permanent residence which is only an immigration status and delivers HK passport eligibility recognised by Canada which is the ground on which this alleged criminal was arrested by the RCMP so the PRC takes umbrage
The grant of bail is neither here nor there and is a step toward an extradition which will definitely be granted and so, a partisan show trial in USA in several years where the outcome is already decided because the arrested person has already said that the conduct of years before was connected to her and broke the USA rules
Look into my eyes, look into the eyes, the eyes, the eyes, not around the eyes, don’t look around the eyes, look into my eyes… and you’re under.
Huawei has no ties to the Chinese government.
Huawei has no ties to the Chinese government.
Huawei has no ties to the Chinese government.
And 3, 2, 1, you’re back in the room.