China has overturned the death sentence of Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, a Canadian official said on Friday, in a possible sign of a diplomatic thaw as Prime Minister Mark Carney seeks to boost trade ties with Beijing. Schellenberg's lawyer, Zhang Dongshuo, confirmed the decision was announced on Friday by China's highest court.
Schellenberg was detained on drug charges in 2014 before China-Canada relations nosedived after the 2018 arrest in Vancouver of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou. That arrest infuriated Beijing, which subsequently detained two Canadians – Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig – on espionage charges that Ottawa condemned as retaliatory. In January 2019, a court in north-east China retried Schellenberg, sentencing him to death after his 15-year prison term for drug trafficking was deemed too lenient.
Under the latest ruling, Schellenberg will be retried by the Liaoning High People's Court, though the timing has not yet been set. Zhang said he met with Schellenberg in Dalian on Friday and that the Canadian appeared relatively relaxed. The Canadian official who confirmed the decision requested anonymity.
Carney, who took office last year, visited China in January as part of his global effort to broaden Canada's export markets and reduce trade reliance on the US. During his visit, Carney met Chinese leader Xi Jinping and heralded an improved era in relations, announcing a new strategic partnership and a preliminary trade deal. Global Affairs Canada did not comment on whether diplomacy during the visit impacted the court decision.
Canada's foreign ministry said it will continue to provide consular services to Schellenberg and his family, and that Canada has advocated for clemency in the case. Zhang noted that Carney's visit raised his hopes for a positive outcome for his client.
