China's Premier Li Keqiang and Prime Minister Stephen Harper speak during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People. Photo: Petar Kujundzic - Pool/Getty BEIJING — As Prime Minister Stephen Harper stood at his side in the Great Hall of the People, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang declared Saturday that China would not release a Canadian couple suspected of being spies and that China’s judicial system would proceed with its investigation.
Li made the statement about the fate of Kevin and Julia Garrett, who were detained in early August, after he and Harper witnessed the signing of government and private business deals between the two countries that were estimated to be worth $2.5 billion.
“As for individual cases, I want to reiterate that as China continues to build a country under the rule of law, we believe that judicial authorities in China should be able to handle cases in accordance with the law,” Li said at a news conference. “At the same time, lawful rights of the people concerned should also be protected.”
Harper was not asked to speak to the issue after Li did and he didn’t. Canada has not formally demanded that China to release the couple, despite pressure from their kin in Canada to do so.
In what may have been a reference to the Garrett’s plight before he and Li addressed the media, Harper said that “we’ve discussed the full range of issues in our bilateral relations in a frank, open and friendly matter.”
Their talks had touched on “both the rule of law and human rights,” Li said. “I want to say that China is building a country under the rule of law and there is a clear stipulation in Chinese constitutional law that human rights must be respected and protected.”
The governments of the two countries had been in touch regarding the Garretts and had held consultations regarding consular visits, Li said.
There was no talk of the Garretts’ release, but China was always unlikely to do so during such a high-profile visit. It may be easier for China to re-examine its stance after Harper returns to Canada.
But as it has been since the prime minister arrived in China late Thursday, the visit has almost all been about trade.
Canada’s Minister of International Trade Ed Fast shakes hands with a Chinese official during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People.(Photo by Petar Kujundzic – Pool/Getty Images)
The centrepiece of Harper third visit to China was to be an announcement about Canada becoming a so-called trading hub for the Chinese renminbi or yuan. While the prime minister’s office insisted a deal had been reached, it was difficult to figure out from Ottawa’s messaging Saturday — or its lack of messaging — what the deal consisted of and whether it had actually been signed.
The closest mention of a tentative currency deal was Li’s remark that China would back direct currency trades to and from Canadian dollars and Chinese yuan with a 50 billion yuan credit. China would select a Canadian bank to work handle such deals, the prime minister’s office said.
Li went out of his way in his closing remarks to speak about the need to close China’s huge trade surplus with Canada. According to Canadian statistics that gap was about $50 billion in China’s favour in 2013.
Perrin Beatty, who heads the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, predicted the currency hub would save Canadian businesses billions of dollars by cutting out the need to process all money transfers through U.S. dollars.
“It will be less costly and easier for Canadian companies to do business in China,” the former federal cabinet minister said. “Things like this (currency deal) are critically essential to us.”
Whatever their differences over the Garretts and human rights, Canadian and Chinese businessmen signed 18 contracts and memoranda of understanding on Saturday.
China’s Premier Li Keqiang, left, meets with Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper, 3rd right, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China Nov. 8, 2014. (AP Photo/Petar Kujundzic, Pool)
Later, at the Great Hall of the People, Harper and Li witnessed the inking of two major agreements between Bombardier and Air Canada and Chinese partners for the sale of aircraft and for a new joint venture, respectively, that Ottawa said were potentially worth $1.5-billion between them.
“Over time it will mean more flights,” said Air Canada President Calin Rovinescu of the joint venture with Air China, the Canadian airline’s Star Alliance partner.
“It is much more than code-sharing of flights,” Rovinescu said. “It is a memorandum of understanding now because it must receive anti-trust approval.
“It is designed to build a pool of revenues and more flights, potentially, to more cities. It will expand our business.”
China agreed on rules for the importation of Canadian cherries and blueberries while Canadian companies signed deals with Chinese counterparts across a wide range of businesses and industries.
Contracts were signed for technologies to waterproof concrete, reduce air pollution in China and lower sulphur dioxide emissions, to build high speed crash test facilities for trains, to sell children-focused Canadian videos on demand, and to sell precise measuring devises for steel rolling plants. Canadian firms found partners to build several new buildings in China while the Chinese made a $15 million investment in Canadian potash projects.
There was also a deal for the sale to China of $1 billion of Canadian canola over the next seven years.
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