Trudeau says Canada will not be cowed by China on human rights

Canada will continue to defend human rights in China, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said after a top Chinese diplomat warned Ottawa against welcoming Hong Kong pro-democracy activists. “We will stand up loudly and clearly for human rights, all around the world, whether it’s talking about the situation faced by the Uighurs, whether it’s talking about the very concerning situation in Hong Kong, whether it’s calling out China for its coercive diplomacy,” said Trudeau said on Friday. But he added: “We don’t look to escalate.” China’s ambassador to Ottawa, Cong Peiwu, warned Canada on Thursday against granting asylum to Hong Kong activists, which he said could have consequences for the “health and security” for the 300,000 Canadians living in the theoretically autonomous Chinese territory. The Canadian daily The Globe and Mail said Ottawa had recently granted asylum to a Hong Kong couple, which the Canadian government has neither confirmed nor denied. style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; left: 0;">