Interpol has a worldwide arrest warrant on Celil before he turns to Canada: China

Honestly, I don't believe China would execute Celil. China wants so much to prove to Canada that it will honour diplomatic notes it issues -- coz the big fish is Lai Changxing.

Globe and Mail, Ming Pao, Business Edge - A senior Chinese official issued a sober warning to the Harper government yesterday over its criticism of his country's human-rights policies, saying Canada's trade and political relationships with China are falling behind.

"The economic relationship goes hand in hand with the political relationship," said He Yafei (何亞飛), the country's assistant minister of foreign affairs for North America.

"We need to have a sound political basis of mutual trust for the economic relationship to flourish. That's why we need to work harder to improve mutual trust."

The remarks came in a rare interview as Canada continued to express deep concern over the fate of a dual Canadian-Chinese citizen, Huseyin Celil, who is jailed in China.

According to the Chinese official stance, Celil is an active member of East Turkistan Movement, which is a terrorist organization defined by the United Nations. He Yafei added yesterday that Celil was issued "Red Notice" - the closest form of an international arrest warrant - by the Interpol before he got the Canadian citizenship.

What is a Red Notice?

According to the US Dept of Justice's criminal resource manual:

An Interpol Red Notice is the closest instrument to an international arrest warrant in use today. Interpol (the International Criminal Police Organization) circulates notices to member countries listing persons who are wanted for extradition. The names of persons listed in the notices are placed on lookout lists (e.g., NCIC or its foreign counterpart). When a person whose name is listed comes to the attention of the police abroad, the country that sought the listing is notified through Interpol and can request either his provisional arrest (if there is urgency) or can file a formal request for extradition.

Please be aware that if a Red Notice is issued, the prosecutor's office is obligated to do whatever work is required to produce the necessary extradition documents within the time limits prescribed by the controlling extradition treaty whenever and wherever the fugitive is arrested. Further, the prosecutor's office is obliged to pay the expenses pursuant to the controlling treaty. Those expenses, which can be quite high, will typically include the costs of translating the extradition documents and may include the costs of hiring local counsel to represent the United States. Further, these obligations, which remain until the fugitive is arrested or the Red Notice is withdrawn, may result in prosecutors who have succeeded the Assistant United States Attorney who originally requested the Red Notice having to prepare the documents and arrange for payment of hefty fees years after the fugitive originally fled from the United States. Therefore, it is important for prosecutors to make certain that the case is significant enough to warrant placing their offices under such a burden in deciding whether or not to request issuance of a Red Notice.

On Ottawa RCMP's website, it says: "RED NOTICE: Seeks arrest of fugitives for whom an arrest warrant has been issued and where extradition will be requested."

Yesterday, seated on a couch in a small room at an Ottawa hotel, He Yafei issued assurances that Celil will not be executed, and denied reports that Celil has been tortured. He Yafei added, however, that the Chinese government has no obligation to inform Canadian diplomats of Celil's next court date because the country does not recognize dual citizenships. Celil was in court last week accused of terrorist activities, but no Canadian diplomats were present.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper raised the Celil case in a recent meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao while the two leaders were in Vietnam for a meeting of APEC.

It was the latest in a series of irritants that has included a decision by Secretary of State for Multiculturalism Jason Kenney to meet with the Dalai Lama, accusations that China is spying on Canadian corporations and a delay in talks on a strategic partnership the two countries signed two years ago.

In the interview with The Globe and Mail and CTV, He Yafei said that, although he believes the difficulties are temporary, there are clouds on the horizon.

"I cannot say Canada is squandering [the relationship] now, but in practical terms Canada is lagging behind in its relations with China," He Yafei said.

"Trade is growing, but not fast enough. Investment is growing, but not fast enough. The overall relationship has room for improvement."

Without a strong political relationship, long-term investments might suffer, He Yafei said.

"People need to have confidence in the country they are going to do business with."

The nations need to respect each other while the irritants are discussed, He Yafei said.

According to the latest World Bank methodology, China accounts for just over 15%of the world economy, compared to the U.S. at 20% and Canada at under 2%, said Stephen Poloz, senior vice-president and chief economist for Export Development Canada.

And with growth in China averaging over 10% of late, that means that China is contributing close to one-third of total global economic growth, according to Poloz.

He Yafei, who conversed easily in English and spoke without a translator, was in Canada for meetings with bureaucratic counterparts. He Yafei began his trip in Vancouver this week. He Yafei said the two countries have a deep-rooted and close relationship, but both need to do a "better job of PR, letting people know what kind of relationship we have.

"We are determined to move ahead despite some difficulties we are experiencing lately. But it's temporary."

He Yafei added that he expected that talks on the Strategic Partnership would be pursued further later this year.

In the House of Commons yesterday, Liberals said the Conservative government's cold war with China is ruining any chance to get Celil sprung from prison.

Liberal MP Dan McTeague said it is impossible for the government to stand up for Celil when the Chinese view Harper as "something of a bumbling cold warrior."

Instead of treating China with respect, McTeague said, the government "views Canada's second-largest trading partner with such blatant suspicion and contempt."

But Harper shot back that the Liberals themselves have a poor record of standing up for the rights of Canadians imprisoned abroad, citing the case of Maher Arar.

The Liberals have a say-nothing, do-nothing diplomatic approach towards foreign countries holding Canadian prisoners, Harper said. The Liberals would "take no action, just like they did with Arar, and every single Canadian citizen they just forgot about when they were in office."

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Canadian diplomats have been urging the Chinese to forget the dispute about Celil's citizenship and treat this as a humanitarian case, a senior federal official said.

Celil was born in China and immigrated to Canada. He Yafei was travelling on his Canadian passport when Uzbek authorities arrested him and deported him to China.

He Yafei said China has assured Uzbekistan that Celil will not be executed. He Yafei also refuted allegations that Celil had been tortured.

"We have given assurances to Uzbekistan. That assurance will stand."

He Yafei added that China would inform Canadian authorities after the verdict on Celil comes down.

"Of course, as a courtesy, we will brief your embassy officials, but as a matter of courtesy, not as a matter of obligation," He Yafei said.

Foreign Minister Peter MacKay, who raised the case during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart at the United Nations last year, was assured that the Chinese would not impose the death penalty and would keep Canada abreast of developments in the case as a humanitarian gesture, the senior federal official said. The official spoke anonymously because of the diplomatic and political sensitivity of the case.

"So our people are reminding Chinese [diplomatic] officials of what their foreign minister promised," the official said.

McTeague and his Liberal colleague, Marlene Jennings, argued that the government would have much more influence with the Chinese if the Conservatives hadn't started on poor political footing with Beijing.

See also:
Beijing flying in senior diplomat to discuss Celil's case with Ottawa
Why China doesn't recognize Celil as Canadian

Tags: Huseyin Celil, Xinjiang, Urumqi, separatist, human rights, canadian citizenship, canada, china, diplomat, diplomacy, foreign affairs