China issues warning for citizens travelling to Canada

Last week, the Canadian government announced that it was suspending the Canada-Hong Kong extradition treaty in response to concerns over the passage of national security legislation for Hong Kong by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China. Now, China has issued a travel warning against Canada for its citizens.

The warning was issued on Monday, according to a report from the South China Morning Post.

In a statement, the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa said it “urges” the Canadian side to “earnestly abide by international law and basic norms governing international relations, immediately correct its mistakes, stop meddling in China’s internal affairs in any way, so as not to further damage China-Canada relations.”

The embassy added that “Hong Kong is China’s special administrative region” and that “Hong Kong affairs are entirely China’s internal affairs and allow no foreign interference.”

It stressed that Canada’s “attempt to exert pressure on China under the pretext of Hong Kong-related issues is completely against the trend of time, and doomed to fail like kicking against the pricks.”

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In announcing the Canadian government’s decision last week, Minister of Foreign Affairs Philippe Champagne said Canada “joins the international community in reiterating its serious concern at the passage of national security legislation for Hong Kong by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China,” said Champagne. “This legislation was enacted in a secretive process, without the participation of Hong Kong’s legislature, judiciary or people, and in violation of international obligations.”

It was a process, he continued, that “demonstrated disregard for Hong Kong’s Basic Law and the high degree of autonomy promised for Hong Kong under the ‘one country, two systems’ framework.”

Hong Kong’s role “as a global hub was built on that foundation,” he added. “Without it, Canada is forced to reassess existing arrangements.”