Pompeo's bluster will only backfire

Perhaps he was overeager to impress his Canadian counterpart with his good-heartedness to help, or just completely ignorant about how diplomacy actually works, but US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's demand that China release two detained Canadians is at best presumptuous, worse manipulative.

For Beijing, Pompeo's remarks are an insult, because they suggest not only that China is a country with "arbitrary enforcement" of laws, where legal justice and procedures can be easily twisted at will for political gain, but also that the country will be frightened into submission when faced with highhandedness of the world's sole superpower.

During a phone call with Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne on Monday, Pompeo stressed that his country is sticking with Canada in fighting what he called China's "coercive detentions of Canadian citizens".

"The United States stands with Canada in calling on Beijing for the immediate release of the two men and rejects the use of these unjustified detentions to coerce Canada," he said, according to a statement from the US State Department.

The two Canadians in the spotlight are former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor－both were detained in December 2018 by the Chinese government on "suspicion of engaging in activities that endanger national security".

While the detentions came nine days after Canada arrested Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou on a US warrant, Beijing has denied any links between the two incidents, insisting that China is a country with rule of law and will crack down on criminal acts that severely undermine its national security. Pompeo is being too wishful and naïve if he really believes his words would have any bearing on how Beijing makes its judicial system function, or even handles its bilateral relations with Canada.

Sino-Canadian relations are experiencing their lowest point in decades after Ottawa arrested Meng at the request of the US a year ago. While both the US and Canada have tried hard to establish the case as a good example of Ottawa standing up for the rule of law, aided by a system of justice independent of political interference, people with any basic geopolitical knowledge are aware that the charges against Meng are politically motivated. The US president once even said in an interview that he "would certainly intervene" in the case if it would help secure a trade deal with China.

If Pompeo really wanted to help Canada repair its ruptured ties with China, he would have kept his mouth shut and let the two countries find a way to resolve their differences in ways acceptable to both. The overbearing manner he has adopted will only backfire.