🕷️ Crawler Inspector

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Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 84 (from laksa117)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa084.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/19/world/asia/china-canada-drug-executions.html\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/19/world/asia/china-canada-drug-executions.html\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/19\/world\/asia\/china-canada-drug-executions.html","crawl_time":1772626194,"first_indexed_time":1742443176,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,nytimes!www,\/2025\/03\/19\/world\/asia\/china-canada-drug-executions.html s443","src_root_hash":"4566504020376537684","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Canada Condemns China’s Execution of 4 Canadians on Drug Convictions - The New York Times","meta_descriptions":["Canada’s foreign minister said the government would continue to ask for leniency from China for other Canadians in similar situations."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Advertisement\nSKIP ADVERTISEMENT\nCanada’s foreign minister said the government would continue to ask for leniency from China for other Canadians in similar situations.\nCanada’s foreign affairs minister, Mélanie Joly, during a news conference last week.\nCredit...\nAdrian Wyld\/The Canadian Press, via Associated Press\nMarch 19, 2025\nChina has executed four Canadians over drug-related convictions, Canada’s foreign affairs minister said Wednesday, a development that threatens to worsen an already tense relationship between the countries.\nMélanie Joly, the Canadian foreign minister, told reporters that she condemned the executions, and that the government would still seek clemency for others.\n“We will continue to engage with China as we’ll continue to not only strongly condemn but also ask for leniency for other Canadians that are facing similar situations,” Ms. Joly said.\nThe Chinese Embassy in Ottawa did not provide details on the executions but defended Beijing’s strict penalties on drug-related crimes.\nThe executions were first reported by The Globe and Mail. The newspaper said that the executions had taken place earlier this year, citing Canada’s Department of Global Affairs as saying so on Wednesday in response to a question from the news outlet.\nMs. Joly told reporters that she and the former prime minister, Justin Trudeau, had asked Beijing for leniency in recent months to try to prevent the executions. She said those involved were dual nationals of Canada and China. (China, however, does not recognize dual citizenship.)\nThe Globe and Mail cited a statement from Ottawa condemning the killings as “inconsistent with basic human dignity.” The department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The New York Times.\nJohn Kamm, the founder of the Dui Hua Foundation, a human rights group in San Francisco that has campaigned for people on death row in China, said he had been helping to lobby China on behalf of the four individuals but was unable to share their details for privacy reasons.\nHe said the four were men and that their cases were handled in the southern province of Guangdong. Mr. Kamm noted that it was “highly unusual” for China to execute four foreigners within a short time frame.\nThe four Canadians’ cases had been under judicial review in China for two years before they were executed, Mr. Kamm said.\nCanada’s relationship with China has deteriorated since late 2018, when the Chinese government\njailed Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig\n, two Canadians in China. That move came after Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, an executive at the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, in Vancouver, at the request of the United States government.\nChina’s detention of Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor was widely condemned in Canada as hostage diplomacy. In 2021, Mr. Spavor and Mr. Kovrig were released after Ms. Meng was allowed to return to China.\nIn recent years, the former prime minister, Mr. Trudeau, and senior members of his cabinet have increasingly criticized China publicly over human rights issues. Concerns have also grown over Chinese interference in Canadian affairs, including allegations that candidates in an election had received\nsecret, illegal funding\nfrom China.\nMs. Joly, the foreign minister, had called China an “increasingly disruptive global power” and warned Canadian companies about the potential risks in doing business there.\nMore recently, Canada has faced growing concerns that Chinese goods were flooding into Canada. Mr. Trudeau last year announced that Canada would impose 100 percent tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, aligning Canada with the United States.\nOn Wednesday, Ms. Joly said that the details of the four Canadians who were executed were not being revealed at the request of their families. She said they had been facing criminal charges linked to drugs, according to China.\nThe Chinese Embassy, without providing details, said that the cases were handled according to law. “The facts of the crimes committed by the Canadian nationals involved in the cases are clear, and the evidence is solid and sufficient,” it said. The embassy urged Canada to respect China’s judicial sovereignty and “stop making irresponsible remarks.”\nAt least one other Canadian faces the death penalty in China, Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, who has been convicted of drug trafficking. He had initially been sentenced to 15 years in prison. But in 2019 he was\nhanded a death sentence in a one-day retrial\n, one month after the Canadian authorities had arrested Ms. Meng, the Huawei executive.\n“Foreigners, like every person in China, are at risk of all kinds of arbitrary detentions and unfair trials,” said Maya Wang, the associate China director at Human Rights Watch. “The universe of cases is really big and we only hear about some of them occasionally.”\nAfter the release of the two Michaels, people had hoped for a thaw in relations, but that has not taken place on a substantive scale, said Lynette Ong, a professor in Chinese politics at the University of Toronto.\nThe timing of these executions is a way for Beijing to keep up the pressure and keep up the leverage over Canada in bilateral discussions, Ms. Ong said.\nJoy Dong contributed reporting from Hong Kong, and Vjosa Isai from Toronto.\nMeaghan Tobin\ncovers business and tech stories in Asia with a focus on China and is based in Taipei.\nA version of this article appears in print on\nMarch 21, 2025\n, Section A, Page 9 of the New York edition with the headline: Canada Condemns Executions of Four Citizens Over Drug Crimes in China\n.\nOrder Reprints\n|\nToday’s Paper\n|\nSubscribe\nRelated Content\nMore in Asia Pacific\nVincent Alban\/The New York Times\nOsaka City Waterworks Bureau\nDarren England\/Australian Associated Press, via Reuters\nMohammed Mahjoub\/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images\nEditors’ Picks\nDaniel Smith\/Prime\nEmma McIntyre\/Getty Images\nTrending in The Times\nTamir Kalifa for The New York Times\nJanet Mac\nBrill\/ullstein bild, via Getty Images\nPhoto Illustration by Tam Stockton for The New York Times\nAndy Clark\/Reuters\nThe Fashion Auctioneer\nGarcía-Ruiz et al.\nHiroko Masuike\/The New York Times\nChristopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.\nMahmud Hams\/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images\nAdvertisement\nSKIP ADVERTISEMENT","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to content](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/19\/world\/asia\/china-canada-drug-executions.html#site-content)[Skip to site index](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/19\/world\/asia\/china-canada-drug-executions.html#site-index)\n\nSearch & Section Navigation\n\nSection Navigation\n\nSearch\n\n[Asia Pacific](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/world\/asia)\n\n[Log in](https:\/\/myaccount.nytimes.com\/auth\/login?response_type=cookie&client_id=vi&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fsubscription%2Fonboarding-offer%3FcampaignId%3D7JFJX%26EXIT_URI%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.nytimes.com%252F2025%252F03%252F19%252Fworld%252Fasia%252Fchina-canada-drug-executions.html&asset=masthead)\n\nWednesday, March 4, 2026\n\n[Today’s Paper](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/todayspaper)\n\n[Asia Pacific](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/world\/asia)\\|Canada Condemns China’s Execution of 4 Canadians on Drug Convictions\n\nhttps:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/19\/world\/asia\/china-canada-drug-executions.html\n\n- Share full article\n- 270\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/19\/world\/asia\/china-canada-drug-executions.html#after-top)\n\nSupported by\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/19\/world\/asia\/china-canada-drug-executions.html#after-sponsor)\n# Canada Condemns China’s Execution of 4 Canadians on Drug Convictions\nCanada’s foreign minister said the government would continue to ask for leniency from China for other Canadians in similar situations.\n\n- Share full article\n- 270\n\n![A woman gesturing with her hands speaks while in front of two Canadian flags.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/03\/20\/multimedia\/20int-china-canada-zfqj\/20int-china-canada-zfqj-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n\nCanada’s foreign affairs minister, Mélanie Joly, during a news conference last week. Credit...Adrian Wyld\/The Canadian Press, via Associated Press\n\n[![Meaghan Tobin](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2024\/03\/16\/reader-center\/author-meaghan-tobin\/author-meaghan-tobin-thumbLarge.png)](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/meaghan-tobin)\n\nBy [Meaghan Tobin](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/meaghan-tobin)\n\nReporting from Taipei, Taiwan\n\nMarch 19, 2025\n\n[阅读简体中文版](https:\/\/cn.nytimes.com\/world\/20250320\/china-canada-drug-executions\/ \"Read in Simplified Chinese\")[閱讀繁體中文版](https:\/\/cn.nytimes.com\/world\/20250320\/china-canada-drug-executions\/zh-hant\/ \"Read in Traditional Chinese\")[Leer en español](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/es\/2025\/03\/20\/espanol\/mundo\/canada-china-ejecucion-canadienses.html \"Read in Spanish\")\n\nChina has executed four Canadians over drug-related convictions, Canada’s foreign affairs minister said Wednesday, a development that threatens to worsen an already tense relationship between the countries.\n\nMélanie Joly, the Canadian foreign minister, told reporters that she condemned the executions, and that the government would still seek clemency for others.\n\n“We will continue to engage with China as we’ll continue to not only strongly condemn but also ask for leniency for other Canadians that are facing similar situations,” Ms. Joly said.\n\nThe Chinese Embassy in Ottawa did not provide details on the executions but defended Beijing’s strict penalties on drug-related crimes.\n\nThe executions were first reported by The Globe and Mail. The newspaper said that the executions had taken place earlier this year, citing Canada’s Department of Global Affairs as saying so on Wednesday in response to a question from the news outlet.\n\nMs. Joly told reporters that she and the former prime minister, Justin Trudeau, had asked Beijing for leniency in recent months to try to prevent the executions. She said those involved were dual nationals of Canada and China. (China, however, does not recognize dual citizenship.)\n\nThe Globe and Mail cited a statement from Ottawa condemning the killings as “inconsistent with basic human dignity.” The department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The New York Times.\n\nJohn Kamm, the founder of the Dui Hua Foundation, a human rights group in San Francisco that has campaigned for people on death row in China, said he had been helping to lobby China on behalf of the four individuals but was unable to share their details for privacy reasons.\n\nHe said the four were men and that their cases were handled in the southern province of Guangdong. Mr. Kamm noted that it was “highly unusual” for China to execute four foreigners within a short time frame.\n\n## Editors’ Picks\n[![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/22\/multimedia\/22ST-DOMESTIC-PARTNERSHIP-PARTY-01-jmft\/22ST-DOMESTIC-PARTNERSHIP-PARTY-01-jmft-thumbLarge.jpg)Don’t Call It a Wedding. It’s a Domestic Partnership Party.](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/01\/style\/domestic-partnership-party.html)\n\n[![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/02\/well\/02WELL-GLP-1-MUSCLES-image\/02WELL-GLP-1-MUSCLES-image-thumbLarge.jpg)Why You Shouldn’t Panic About GLP-1 Muscle Loss](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/02\/well\/glp-1-muscle-loss.html)\n\n[![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/08\/magazine\/08mag-lor-1\/08mag-lor-1-thumbLarge.png)How Selling Out Made Me a Better Artist](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/03\/magazine\/selling-out-art-creativity.html)\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/19\/world\/asia\/china-canada-drug-executions.html#after-pp_edpick)\n\nThe four Canadians’ cases had been under judicial review in China for two years before they were executed, Mr. Kamm said.\n\nCanada’s relationship with China has deteriorated since late 2018, when the Chinese government [jailed Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/09\/25\/world\/asia\/meng-wanzhou-china.html), two Canadians in China. That move came after Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, an executive at the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, in Vancouver, at the request of the United States government.\n\nChina’s detention of Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor was widely condemned in Canada as hostage diplomacy. In 2021, Mr. Spavor and Mr. Kovrig were released after Ms. Meng was allowed to return to China.\n\nIn recent years, the former prime minister, Mr. Trudeau, and senior members of his cabinet have increasingly criticized China publicly over human rights issues. Concerns have also grown over Chinese interference in Canadian affairs, including allegations that candidates in an election had received [secret, illegal funding](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/9253386\/canadian-intelligence-warned-pm-trudeau-that-china-covertly-funded-2019-election-candidates-sources\/) from China.\n\nMs. Joly, the foreign minister, had called China an “increasingly disruptive global power” and warned Canadian companies about the potential risks in doing business there.\n\nMore recently, Canada has faced growing concerns that Chinese goods were flooding into Canada. Mr. Trudeau last year announced that Canada would impose 100 percent tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, aligning Canada with the United States.\n\nOn Wednesday, Ms. Joly said that the details of the four Canadians who were executed were not being revealed at the request of their families. She said they had been facing criminal charges linked to drugs, according to China.\n\nThe Chinese Embassy, without providing details, said that the cases were handled according to law. “The facts of the crimes committed by the Canadian nationals involved in the cases are clear, and the evidence is solid and sufficient,” it said. The embassy urged Canada to respect China’s judicial sovereignty and “stop making irresponsible remarks.”\n\nAt least one other Canadian faces the death penalty in China, Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, who has been convicted of drug trafficking. He had initially been sentenced to 15 years in prison. But in 2019 he was [handed a death sentence in a one-day retrial](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/01\/14\/world\/asia\/china-canada-schellenberg-retrial.html), one month after the Canadian authorities had arrested Ms. Meng, the Huawei executive.\n\n“Foreigners, like every person in China, are at risk of all kinds of arbitrary detentions and unfair trials,” said Maya Wang, the associate China director at Human Rights Watch. “The universe of cases is really big and we only hear about some of them occasionally.”\n\nAfter the release of the two Michaels, people had hoped for a thaw in relations, but that has not taken place on a substantive scale, said Lynette Ong, a professor in Chinese politics at the University of Toronto.\n\nThe timing of these executions is a way for Beijing to keep up the pressure and keep up the leverage over Canada in bilateral discussions, Ms. Ong said.\n\nJoy Dong contributed reporting from Hong Kong, and Vjosa Isai from Toronto.\n\n[Meaghan Tobin](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/meaghan-tobin) covers business and tech stories in Asia with a focus on China and is based in Taipei.\n\nA version of this article appears in print on March 21, 2025, Section A, Page 9 of the New York edition with the headline: Canada Condemns Executions of Four Citizens Over Drug Crimes in China. [Order Reprints](https:\/\/nytimes.wrightsmedia.com\/) \\| [Today’s Paper](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/todayspaper) \\| [Subscribe](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscriptions\/Multiproduct\/lp8HYKU.html?campaignId=48JQY)\n\nRead 270 comments\n\n- Share full article\n- 270\n\n## Related Content\n### [More in Asia Pacific](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/world\/asia)\n- [In Alysa Liu and Eileen Gu, China and America See a Mirror Image](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/02\/business\/alysa-liu-eileen-gu-china.html)\n  \n  ![Ms. Liu during a training session at the Milan ice skating arena.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/02\/multimedia\/02BIZ-Newworld-03-vmjp\/02BIZ-Newworld-03-vmjp-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Vincent Alban\/The New York Times\n- [A Japanese City Received 21 Gold Bars With Instructions: Fix Your Water Pipes](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/26\/world\/asia\/osaka-water-pipes-gold-bars.html)\n  \n  ![The Osaka City Waterworks Bureau released a photo of the gold bars with serial numbers redacted.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/25\/multimedia\/25xp-osaka-jpcq\/25xp-osaka-jpcq-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Osaka City Waterworks Bureau\n- [She’s Been Anti-Immigrant for Decades. Now Her Popularity Is Soaring.](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/26\/world\/asia\/australia-bondi-one-nation-immigration.html)\n  \n  ![Pauline Hanson, the leader of the One Nation party, at a rally in Brisbane, Australia, last month. She has long argued that Australia needs to curb what she calls “mass migration.”](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/26\/multimedia\/26int-oz-immigration-01-vqmc\/26int-oz-immigration-01-vqmc-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Darren England\/Australian Associated Press, via Reuters\n- [9 Million Indians Live in the Persian Gulf. The Money They Send Home Is a Lifeline.](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/03\/business\/india-workers-iran-persian-gulf.html)\n  \n  ![Indian laborers who take up positions in construction, transportation and home care to send money back home.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/03\/multimedia\/03biz-india-gulf-01-zvlh\/03biz-india-gulf-01-zvlh-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Mohammed Mahjoub\/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images\n\n### Editors’ Picks\n- [In ‘Young Sherlock,’ He’s a Gen Z Heartthrob](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/03\/arts\/television\/young-sherlock.html)\n  \n  ![Hero Fiennes Tiffin as Sherlock Holmes in “Young Sherlock,” this time as a charismatic 19-year-old with a strong jaw and a sly smile.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/04\/arts\/03cul-young-sherlock\/03cul-young-sherlock-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Daniel Smith\/Prime\n- [Are Zendaya and Tom Holland Married?](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/02\/style\/zendaya-tom-holland-married.html)\n  \n  ![Husband and wife?](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/02\/multimedia\/02ST-ZENDAYA-WEDDING-htcf\/02ST-ZENDAYA-WEDDING-htcf-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Emma McIntyre\/Getty Images\n\n### Trending in The Times\n- [James Talarico Wins Texas Democratic Senate Primary](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/video\/us\/politics\/100000010751865\/texas-senate-primary-talarico.html)\n  \n  ![Texas State Representative James Talarico, a Democrat running for the U.S. Senate, speaks at an Election night watch party at Emo’s in Austin, Tex. on Tuesday.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/04\/multimedia\/04vid-texas-primary-cover-hwbv\/04vid-texas-primary-cover-hwbv-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Tamir Kalifa for The New York Times\n- [Opinion: The Reason Gen Z Isn’t Dating](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/03\/opinion\/gen-z-dating-clavicular.html)\n  \n  ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/03\/opinion\/03emba\/03emba-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Janet Mac\n- [After ‘Priceless’ Violin Flies on Lap, Lufthansa Changes Carry-On Rules](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/02\/travel\/musical-instruments-travel-accommodations.html)\n  \n  ![Carolin Widmann was boarding a plane with a Guadagnini violin, made in 1782, when she was instructed to take it out of its case. ](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/24\/multimedia\/00xp-instruments-widmann\/00xp-instruments-widmann-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Brill\/ullstein bild, via Getty Images\n- [Opinion: How to Think About Trump’s War With Iran](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/02\/opinion\/trump-iran-war-future.html)\n  \n  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style.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/05\/multimedia\/ST-CBK-AUCTION-01-zmpf\/ST-CBK-AUCTION-01-zmpf-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  The Fashion Auctioneer\n- [Chimpanzees Are Really Into Crystals](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/04\/science\/chimpanzees-crystals.html)\n  \n  García-Ruiz et al.\n- [Clinton Deposition Videos Released in Epstein Investigation](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/video\/us\/politics\/100000010748884\/clinton-deposition-epstein-oversight.html)\n  \n  ![Hillary Clinton speaking to reporters after her closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee, as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, in Chappaqua, N.Y.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/02\/multimedia\/02dc-clinton-qfzt\/02dc-clinton-qfzt-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Hiroko Masuike\/The New York Times\n- [For Actually Good Chicken Breast, Try One of Our Top-Rated Recipes](https:\/\/cooking.nytimes.com\/article\/reader-favorite-boneless-chicken-breast-recipes)\n  \n  ![Yasmin Fahr’s honey-garlic chicken breasts.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/27\/multimedia\/27FD-CHICKEN-BREAST-ROUNDUP-honeygarlicchicken-hwbt\/27FD-CHICKEN-BREAST-ROUNDUP-honeygarlicchicken-hwbt-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.\n- [Iran’s Strategy: Expand the War, Increase the Cost, Outlast Trump](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/03\/world\/europe\/iran-war-strategy-trump-israel.html)\n  \n  ![The aftermath of a strike in Doha, Qatar, on Sunday. Iran is working to enlarge the battlefield.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/03\/multimedia\/03int-iran-region-01-fkzl\/03int-iran-region-01-fkzl-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Mahmud Hams\/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/19\/world\/asia\/china-canada-drug-executions.html#after-bottom)\n\n## Site Index\n[Go to Home Page »](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/)\n\nNews\n\n- [Home Page](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/)\n- [U.S.](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/us)\n- [World](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/world)\n- [Politics](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/politics)\n- [New York](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/nyregion)\n- [Education](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/education)\n- [Sports](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/sports)\n- [Business](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/business)\n- 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Credit...Adrian Wyld\/The Canadian Press, via Associated Press\n\nMarch 19, 2025\n\nChina has executed four Canadians over drug-related convictions, Canada’s foreign affairs minister said Wednesday, a development that threatens to worsen an already tense relationship between the countries.\n\nMélanie Joly, the Canadian foreign minister, told reporters that she condemned the executions, and that the government would still seek clemency for others.\n\n“We will continue to engage with China as we’ll continue to not only strongly condemn but also ask for leniency for other Canadians that are facing similar situations,” Ms. Joly said.\n\nThe Chinese Embassy in Ottawa did not provide details on the executions but defended Beijing’s strict penalties on drug-related crimes.\n\nThe executions were first reported by The Globe and Mail. The newspaper said that the executions had taken place earlier this year, citing Canada’s Department of Global Affairs as saying so on Wednesday in response to a question from the news outlet.\n\nMs. Joly told reporters that she and the former prime minister, Justin Trudeau, had asked Beijing for leniency in recent months to try to prevent the executions. She said those involved were dual nationals of Canada and China. (China, however, does not recognize dual citizenship.)\n\nThe Globe and Mail cited a statement from Ottawa condemning the killings as “inconsistent with basic human dignity.” The department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The New York Times.\n\nJohn Kamm, the founder of the Dui Hua Foundation, a human rights group in San Francisco that has campaigned for people on death row in China, said he had been helping to lobby China on behalf of the four individuals but was unable to share their details for privacy reasons.\n\nHe said the four were men and that their cases were handled in the southern province of Guangdong. Mr. Kamm noted that it was “highly unusual” for China to execute four foreigners within a short time frame.\n\nThe four Canadians’ cases had been under judicial review in China for two years before they were executed, Mr. Kamm said.\n\nCanada’s relationship with China has deteriorated since late 2018, when the Chinese government [jailed Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/09\/25\/world\/asia\/meng-wanzhou-china.html), two Canadians in China. That move came after Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, an executive at the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, in Vancouver, at the request of the United States government.\n\nChina’s detention of Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor was widely condemned in Canada as hostage diplomacy. In 2021, Mr. Spavor and Mr. Kovrig were released after Ms. Meng was allowed to return to China.\n\nIn recent years, the former prime minister, Mr. Trudeau, and senior members of his cabinet have increasingly criticized China publicly over human rights issues. Concerns have also grown over Chinese interference in Canadian affairs, including allegations that candidates in an election had received [secret, illegal funding](https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/9253386\/canadian-intelligence-warned-pm-trudeau-that-china-covertly-funded-2019-election-candidates-sources\/) from China.\n\nMs. Joly, the foreign minister, had called China an “increasingly disruptive global power” and warned Canadian companies about the potential risks in doing business there.\n\nMore recently, Canada has faced growing concerns that Chinese goods were flooding into Canada. Mr. Trudeau last year announced that Canada would impose 100 percent tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, aligning Canada with the United States.\n\nOn Wednesday, Ms. Joly said that the details of the four Canadians who were executed were not being revealed at the request of their families. She said they had been facing criminal charges linked to drugs, according to China.\n\nThe Chinese Embassy, without providing details, said that the cases were handled according to law. “The facts of the crimes committed by the Canadian nationals involved in the cases are clear, and the evidence is solid and sufficient,” it said. The embassy urged Canada to respect China’s judicial sovereignty and “stop making irresponsible remarks.”\n\nAt least one other Canadian faces the death penalty in China, Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, who has been convicted of drug trafficking. He had initially been sentenced to 15 years in prison. But in 2019 he was [handed a death sentence in a one-day retrial](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/01\/14\/world\/asia\/china-canada-schellenberg-retrial.html), one month after the Canadian authorities had arrested Ms. Meng, the Huawei executive.\n\n“Foreigners, like every person in China, are at risk of all kinds of arbitrary detentions and unfair trials,” said Maya Wang, the associate China director at Human Rights Watch. “The universe of cases is really big and we only hear about some of them occasionally.”\n\nAfter the release of the two Michaels, people had hoped for a thaw in relations, but that has not taken place on a substantive scale, said Lynette Ong, a professor in Chinese politics at the University of Toronto.\n\nThe timing of these executions is a way for Beijing to keep up the pressure and keep up the leverage over Canada in bilateral discussions, Ms. Ong said.\n\nJoy Dong contributed reporting from Hong Kong, and Vjosa Isai from Toronto.\n\n[Meaghan Tobin](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/meaghan-tobin) covers business and tech stories in Asia with a focus on China and is based in Taipei.\n\nA version of this article appears in print on March 21, 2025, Section A, Page 9 of the New York edition with the headline: Canada Condemns Executions of Four Citizens Over Drug Crimes in China. [Order Reprints](https:\/\/nytimes.wrightsmedia.com\/) \\| [Today’s Paper](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/todayspaper) \\| [Subscribe](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscriptions\/Multiproduct\/lp8HYKU.html?campaignId=48JQY)\n\n## Related Content\n[More in Asia Pacific](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/world\/asia)\n\n- ![Ms. Liu during a training session at the Milan ice skating arena.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/02\/multimedia\/02BIZ-Newworld-03-vmjp\/02BIZ-Newworld-03-vmjp-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Vincent Alban\/The New York Times\n- ![The Osaka City Waterworks Bureau released a photo of the gold bars with serial numbers redacted.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/25\/multimedia\/25xp-osaka-jpcq\/25xp-osaka-jpcq-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Osaka City Waterworks Bureau\n- ![Pauline Hanson, the leader of the One Nation party, at a rally in Brisbane, Australia, last month. She has long argued that Australia needs to curb what she calls “mass migration.”](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/26\/multimedia\/26int-oz-immigration-01-vqmc\/26int-oz-immigration-01-vqmc-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Darren England\/Australian Associated Press, via Reuters\n- ![Indian laborers who take up positions in construction, transportation and home care to send money back home.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/03\/multimedia\/03biz-india-gulf-01-zvlh\/03biz-india-gulf-01-zvlh-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Mohammed Mahjoub\/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images\n\nEditors’ Picks\n\n- ![Hero Fiennes Tiffin as Sherlock Holmes in “Young Sherlock,” this time as a charismatic 19-year-old with a strong jaw and a sly smile.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/04\/arts\/03cul-young-sherlock\/03cul-young-sherlock-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Daniel Smith\/Prime\n- ![Husband and wife?](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/02\/multimedia\/02ST-ZENDAYA-WEDDING-htcf\/02ST-ZENDAYA-WEDDING-htcf-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n  \n  Emma McIntyre\/Getty Images\n\nTrending in The Times\n\n- ![Texas State Representative James Talarico, a Democrat running for the U.S. Senate, speaks at an Election night watch party at Emo’s in Austin, Tex. on Tuesday.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/04\/multimedia\/04vid-texas-primary-cover-hwbv\/04vid-texas-primary-cover-hwbv-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Tamir Kalifa for The New York Times\n- ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/03\/opinion\/03emba\/03emba-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Janet Mac\n- ![Carolin Widmann was boarding a plane with a Guadagnini violin, made in 1782, when she was instructed to take it out of its case. ](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/24\/multimedia\/00xp-instruments-widmann\/00xp-instruments-widmann-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Brill\/ullstein bild, via Getty Images\n- ![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/03\/multimedia\/02friedman-lvgk\/02friedman-lvgk-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Photo Illustration by Tam Stockton for The New York Times\n- ![The Gastown Steam Clock marking the noon hour in Vancouver, British Columbia.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/03\/multimedia\/03xp-bc-dst-btcp\/03xp-bc-dst-btcp-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Andy Clark\/Reuters\n- ![Several styles worn by Ms. Bessette Kennedy are on sale in an auction timed to meet renewed interest in her style.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/05\/multimedia\/ST-CBK-AUCTION-01-zmpf\/ST-CBK-AUCTION-01-zmpf-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  The Fashion Auctioneer\n- García-Ruiz et al.\n- ![Hillary Clinton speaking to reporters after her closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee, as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, in Chappaqua, N.Y.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/02\/multimedia\/02dc-clinton-qfzt\/02dc-clinton-qfzt-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Hiroko Masuike\/The New York Times\n- ![Yasmin Fahr’s honey-garlic chicken breasts.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/27\/multimedia\/27FD-CHICKEN-BREAST-ROUNDUP-honeygarlicchicken-hwbt\/27FD-CHICKEN-BREAST-ROUNDUP-honeygarlicchicken-hwbt-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.\n- ![The aftermath of a strike in Doha, Qatar, on Sunday. Iran is working to enlarge the battlefield.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/03\/03\/multimedia\/03int-iran-region-01-fkzl\/03int-iran-region-01-fkzl-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=350)\n  \n  Mahmud Hams\/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/19\/world\/asia\/china-canada-drug-executions.html#after-bottom)","meta_canonical":null}

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Boilerpipe Text	Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Canada’s foreign minister said the government would continue to ask for leniency from China for other Canadians in similar situations. Canada’s foreign affairs minister, Mélanie Joly, during a news conference last week. Credit... Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press, via Associated Press March 19, 2025 China has executed four Canadians over drug-related convictions, Canada’s foreign affairs minister said Wednesday, a development that threatens to worsen an already tense relationship between the countries. Mélanie Joly, the Canadian foreign minister, told reporters that she condemned the executions, and that the government would still seek clemency for others. “We will continue to engage with China as we’ll continue to not only strongly condemn but also ask for leniency for other Canadians that are facing similar situations,” Ms. Joly said. The Chinese Embassy in Ottawa did not provide details on the executions but defended Beijing’s strict penalties on drug-related crimes. The executions were first reported by The Globe and Mail. The newspaper said that the executions had taken place earlier this year, citing Canada’s Department of Global Affairs as saying so on Wednesday in response to a question from the news outlet. Ms. Joly told reporters that she and the former prime minister, Justin Trudeau, had asked Beijing for leniency in recent months to try to prevent the executions. She said those involved were dual nationals of Canada and China. (China, however, does not recognize dual citizenship.) The Globe and Mail cited a statement from Ottawa condemning the killings as “inconsistent with basic human dignity.” The department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The New York Times. John Kamm, the founder of the Dui Hua Foundation, a human rights group in San Francisco that has campaigned for people on death row in China, said he had been helping to lobby China on behalf of the four individuals but was unable to share their details for privacy reasons. He said the four were men and that their cases were handled in the southern province of Guangdong. Mr. Kamm noted that it was “highly unusual” for China to execute four foreigners within a short time frame. The four Canadians’ cases had been under judicial review in China for two years before they were executed, Mr. Kamm said. Canada’s relationship with China has deteriorated since late 2018, when the Chinese government jailed Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig , two Canadians in China. That move came after Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, an executive at the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, in Vancouver, at the request of the United States government. China’s detention of Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor was widely condemned in Canada as hostage diplomacy. In 2021, Mr. Spavor and Mr. Kovrig were released after Ms. Meng was allowed to return to China. In recent years, the former prime minister, Mr. Trudeau, and senior members of his cabinet have increasingly criticized China publicly over human rights issues. Concerns have also grown over Chinese interference in Canadian affairs, including allegations that candidates in an election had received secret, illegal funding from China. Ms. Joly, the foreign minister, had called China an “increasingly disruptive global power” and warned Canadian companies about the potential risks in doing business there. More recently, Canada has faced growing concerns that Chinese goods were flooding into Canada. Mr. Trudeau last year announced that Canada would impose 100 percent tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, aligning Canada with the United States. On Wednesday, Ms. Joly said that the details of the four Canadians who were executed were not being revealed at the request of their families. She said they had been facing criminal charges linked to drugs, according to China. The Chinese Embassy, without providing details, said that the cases were handled according to law. “The facts of the crimes committed by the Canadian nationals involved in the cases are clear, and the evidence is solid and sufficient,” it said. The embassy urged Canada to respect China’s judicial sovereignty and “stop making irresponsible remarks.” At least one other Canadian faces the death penalty in China, Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, who has been convicted of drug trafficking. He had initially been sentenced to 15 years in prison. But in 2019 he was handed a death sentence in a one-day retrial , one month after the Canadian authorities had arrested Ms. Meng, the Huawei executive. “Foreigners, like every person in China, are at risk of all kinds of arbitrary detentions and unfair trials,” said Maya Wang, the associate China director at Human Rights Watch. “The universe of cases is really big and we only hear about some of them occasionally.” After the release of the two Michaels, people had hoped for a thaw in relations, but that has not taken place on a substantive scale, said Lynette Ong, a professor in Chinese politics at the University of Toronto. The timing of these executions is a way for Beijing to keep up the pressure and keep up the leverage over Canada in bilateral discussions, Ms. Ong said. Joy Dong contributed reporting from Hong Kong, and Vjosa Isai from Toronto. Meaghan Tobin covers business and tech stories in Asia with a focus on China and is based in Taipei. A version of this article appears in print on March 21, 2025 , Section A, Page 9 of the New York edition with the headline: Canada Condemns Executions of Four Citizens Over Drug Crimes in China . Order Reprints \| Today’s Paper \| Subscribe Related Content More in Asia Pacific Vincent Alban/The New York Times Osaka City Waterworks Bureau Darren England/Australian Associated Press, via Reuters Mohammed Mahjoub/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Editors’ Picks Daniel Smith/Prime Emma McIntyre/Getty Images Trending in The Times Tamir Kalifa for The New York Times Janet Mac Brill/ullstein bild, via Getty Images Photo Illustration by Tam Stockton for The New York Times Andy Clark/Reuters The Fashion Auctioneer García-Ruiz et al. Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Mahmud Hams/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
Markdown	[Skip to content](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/19/world/asia/china-canada-drug-executions.html#site-content)[Skip to site index](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/19/world/asia/china-canada-drug-executions.html#site-index) Search & Section Navigation Section Navigation Search [Asia Pacific](https://www.nytimes.com/section/world/asia) [Log in](https://myaccount.nytimes.com/auth/login?response_type=cookie&client_id=vi&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fsubscription%2Fonboarding-offer%3FcampaignId%3D7JFJX%26EXIT_URI%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.nytimes.com%252F2025%252F03%252F19%252Fworld%252Fasia%252Fchina-canada-drug-executions.html&asset=masthead) Wednesday, March 4, 2026 [Today’s Paper](https://www.nytimes.com/section/todayspaper) [Asia Pacific](https://www.nytimes.com/section/world/asia)\\|Canada Condemns China’s Execution of 4 Canadians on Drug Convictions https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/19/world/asia/china-canada-drug-executions.html - Share full article - 270 Advertisement [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/19/world/asia/china-canada-drug-executions.html#after-top) Supported by [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/19/world/asia/china-canada-drug-executions.html#after-sponsor) # Canada Condemns China’s Execution of 4 Canadians on Drug Convictions Canada’s foreign minister said the government would continue to ask for leniency from China for other Canadians in similar situations. - Share full article - 270 ![A woman gesturing with her hands speaks while in front of two Canadian flags.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2025/03/20/multimedia/20int-china-canada-zfqj/20int-china-canada-zfqj-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Canada’s foreign affairs minister, Mélanie Joly, during a news conference last week. Credit...Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press, via Associated Press [![Meaghan Tobin](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2024/03/16/reader-center/author-meaghan-tobin/author-meaghan-tobin-thumbLarge.png)](https://www.nytimes.com/by/meaghan-tobin) By [Meaghan Tobin](https://www.nytimes.com/by/meaghan-tobin) Reporting from Taipei, Taiwan March 19, 2025 [阅读简体中文版](https://cn.nytimes.com/world/20250320/china-canada-drug-executions/ "Read in Simplified Chinese")[閱讀繁體中文版](https://cn.nytimes.com/world/20250320/china-canada-drug-executions/zh-hant/ "Read in Traditional Chinese")[Leer en español](https://www.nytimes.com/es/2025/03/20/espanol/mundo/canada-china-ejecucion-canadienses.html "Read in Spanish") China has executed four Canadians over drug-related convictions, Canada’s foreign affairs minister said Wednesday, a development that threatens to worsen an already tense relationship between the countries. Mélanie Joly, the Canadian foreign minister, told reporters that she condemned the executions, and that the government would still seek clemency for others. “We will continue to engage with China as we’ll continue to not only strongly condemn but also ask for leniency for other Canadians that are facing similar situations,” Ms. Joly said. The Chinese Embassy in Ottawa did not provide details on the executions but defended Beijing’s strict penalties on drug-related crimes. The executions were first reported by The Globe and Mail. The newspaper said that the executions had taken place earlier this year, citing Canada’s Department of Global Affairs as saying so on Wednesday in response to a question from the news outlet. Ms. Joly told reporters that she and the former prime minister, Justin Trudeau, had asked Beijing for leniency in recent months to try to prevent the executions. She said those involved were dual nationals of Canada and China. (China, however, does not recognize dual citizenship.) The Globe and Mail cited a statement from Ottawa condemning the killings as “inconsistent with basic human dignity.” The department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The New York Times. John Kamm, the founder of the Dui Hua Foundation, a human rights group in San Francisco that has campaigned for people on death row in China, said he had been helping to lobby China on behalf of the four individuals but was unable to share their details for privacy reasons. He said the four were men and that their cases were handled in the southern province of Guangdong. Mr. Kamm noted that it was “highly unusual” for China to execute four foreigners within a short time frame. ## Editors’ Picks [![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/02/22/multimedia/22ST-DOMESTIC-PARTNERSHIP-PARTY-01-jmft/22ST-DOMESTIC-PARTNERSHIP-PARTY-01-jmft-thumbLarge.jpg)Don’t Call It a Wedding. It’s a Domestic Partnership Party.](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/01/style/domestic-partnership-party.html) [![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/02/well/02WELL-GLP-1-MUSCLES-image/02WELL-GLP-1-MUSCLES-image-thumbLarge.jpg)Why You Shouldn’t Panic About GLP-1 Muscle Loss](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/02/well/glp-1-muscle-loss.html) [![](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/08/magazine/08mag-lor-1/08mag-lor-1-thumbLarge.png)How Selling Out Made Me a Better Artist](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/03/magazine/selling-out-art-creativity.html) Advertisement [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/19/world/asia/china-canada-drug-executions.html#after-pp_edpick) The four Canadians’ cases had been under judicial review in China for two years before they were executed, Mr. Kamm said. Canada’s relationship with China has deteriorated since late 2018, when the Chinese government [jailed Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/25/world/asia/meng-wanzhou-china.html), two Canadians in China. That move came after Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, an executive at the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, in Vancouver, at the request of the United States government. China’s detention of Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor was widely condemned in Canada as hostage diplomacy. In 2021, Mr. Spavor and Mr. Kovrig were released after Ms. Meng was allowed to return to China. In recent years, the former prime minister, Mr. Trudeau, and senior members of his cabinet have increasingly criticized China publicly over human rights issues. Concerns have also grown over Chinese interference in Canadian affairs, including allegations that candidates in an election had received [secret, illegal funding](https://globalnews.ca/news/9253386/canadian-intelligence-warned-pm-trudeau-that-china-covertly-funded-2019-election-candidates-sources/) from China. Ms. Joly, the foreign minister, had called China an “increasingly disruptive global power” and warned Canadian companies about the potential risks in doing business there. More recently, Canada has faced growing concerns that Chinese goods were flooding into Canada. Mr. Trudeau last year announced that Canada would impose 100 percent tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, aligning Canada with the United States. On Wednesday, Ms. Joly said that the details of the four Canadians who were executed were not being revealed at the request of their families. She said they had been facing criminal charges linked to drugs, according to China. The Chinese Embassy, without providing details, said that the cases were handled according to law. “The facts of the crimes committed by the Canadian nationals involved in the cases are clear, and the evidence is solid and sufficient,” it said. The embassy urged Canada to respect China’s judicial sovereignty and “stop making irresponsible remarks.” At least one other Canadian faces the death penalty in China, Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, who has been convicted of drug trafficking. He had initially been sentenced to 15 years in prison. But in 2019 he was [handed a death sentence in a one-day retrial](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/14/world/asia/china-canada-schellenberg-retrial.html), one month after the Canadian authorities had arrested Ms. Meng, the Huawei executive. “Foreigners, like every person in China, are at risk of all kinds of arbitrary detentions and unfair trials,” said Maya Wang, the associate China director at Human Rights Watch. “The universe of cases is really big and we only hear about some of them occasionally.” After the release of the two Michaels, people had hoped for a thaw in relations, but that has not taken place on a substantive scale, said Lynette Ong, a professor in Chinese politics at the University of Toronto. The timing of these executions is a way for Beijing to keep up the pressure and keep up the leverage over Canada in bilateral discussions, Ms. Ong said. Joy Dong contributed reporting from Hong Kong, and Vjosa Isai from Toronto. [Meaghan Tobin](https://www.nytimes.com/by/meaghan-tobin) covers business and tech stories in Asia with a focus on China and is based in Taipei. A version of this article appears in print on March 21, 2025, Section A, Page 9 of the New York edition with the headline: Canada Condemns Executions of Four Citizens Over Drug Crimes in China. 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Readable Markdown	Advertisement [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/19/world/asia/china-canada-drug-executions.html#after-top) Canada’s foreign minister said the government would continue to ask for leniency from China for other Canadians in similar situations. ![A woman gesturing with her hands speaks while in front of two Canadian flags.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2025/03/20/multimedia/20int-china-canada-zfqj/20int-china-canada-zfqj-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Canada’s foreign affairs minister, Mélanie Joly, during a news conference last week. Credit...Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press, via Associated Press March 19, 2025 China has executed four Canadians over drug-related convictions, Canada’s foreign affairs minister said Wednesday, a development that threatens to worsen an already tense relationship between the countries. Mélanie Joly, the Canadian foreign minister, told reporters that she condemned the executions, and that the government would still seek clemency for others. “We will continue to engage with China as we’ll continue to not only strongly condemn but also ask for leniency for other Canadians that are facing similar situations,” Ms. Joly said. The Chinese Embassy in Ottawa did not provide details on the executions but defended Beijing’s strict penalties on drug-related crimes. The executions were first reported by The Globe and Mail. The newspaper said that the executions had taken place earlier this year, citing Canada’s Department of Global Affairs as saying so on Wednesday in response to a question from the news outlet. Ms. Joly told reporters that she and the former prime minister, Justin Trudeau, had asked Beijing for leniency in recent months to try to prevent the executions. She said those involved were dual nationals of Canada and China. (China, however, does not recognize dual citizenship.) The Globe and Mail cited a statement from Ottawa condemning the killings as “inconsistent with basic human dignity.” The department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The New York Times. John Kamm, the founder of the Dui Hua Foundation, a human rights group in San Francisco that has campaigned for people on death row in China, said he had been helping to lobby China on behalf of the four individuals but was unable to share their details for privacy reasons. He said the four were men and that their cases were handled in the southern province of Guangdong. Mr. Kamm noted that it was “highly unusual” for China to execute four foreigners within a short time frame. The four Canadians’ cases had been under judicial review in China for two years before they were executed, Mr. Kamm said. Canada’s relationship with China has deteriorated since late 2018, when the Chinese government [jailed Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/25/world/asia/meng-wanzhou-china.html), two Canadians in China. That move came after Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, an executive at the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, in Vancouver, at the request of the United States government. China’s detention of Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor was widely condemned in Canada as hostage diplomacy. In 2021, Mr. Spavor and Mr. Kovrig were released after Ms. Meng was allowed to return to China. In recent years, the former prime minister, Mr. Trudeau, and senior members of his cabinet have increasingly criticized China publicly over human rights issues. Concerns have also grown over Chinese interference in Canadian affairs, including allegations that candidates in an election had received [secret, illegal funding](https://globalnews.ca/news/9253386/canadian-intelligence-warned-pm-trudeau-that-china-covertly-funded-2019-election-candidates-sources/) from China. Ms. Joly, the foreign minister, had called China an “increasingly disruptive global power” and warned Canadian companies about the potential risks in doing business there. More recently, Canada has faced growing concerns that Chinese goods were flooding into Canada. Mr. Trudeau last year announced that Canada would impose 100 percent tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, aligning Canada with the United States. On Wednesday, Ms. Joly said that the details of the four Canadians who were executed were not being revealed at the request of their families. She said they had been facing criminal charges linked to drugs, according to China. The Chinese Embassy, without providing details, said that the cases were handled according to law. “The facts of the crimes committed by the Canadian nationals involved in the cases are clear, and the evidence is solid and sufficient,” it said. The embassy urged Canada to respect China’s judicial sovereignty and “stop making irresponsible remarks.” At least one other Canadian faces the death penalty in China, Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, who has been convicted of drug trafficking. He had initially been sentenced to 15 years in prison. But in 2019 he was [handed a death sentence in a one-day retrial](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/14/world/asia/china-canada-schellenberg-retrial.html), one month after the Canadian authorities had arrested Ms. Meng, the Huawei executive. “Foreigners, like every person in China, are at risk of all kinds of arbitrary detentions and unfair trials,” said Maya Wang, the associate China director at Human Rights Watch. “The universe of cases is really big and we only hear about some of them occasionally.” After the release of the two Michaels, people had hoped for a thaw in relations, but that has not taken place on a substantive scale, said Lynette Ong, a professor in Chinese politics at the University of Toronto. The timing of these executions is a way for Beijing to keep up the pressure and keep up the leverage over Canada in bilateral discussions, Ms. Ong said. Joy Dong contributed reporting from Hong Kong, and Vjosa Isai from Toronto. [Meaghan Tobin](https://www.nytimes.com/by/meaghan-tobin) covers business and tech stories in Asia with a focus on China and is based in Taipei. A version of this article appears in print on March 21, 2025, Section A, Page 9 of the New York edition with the headline: Canada Condemns Executions of Four Citizens Over Drug Crimes in China. [Order Reprints](https://nytimes.wrightsmedia.com/) \\| [Today’s Paper](https://www.nytimes.com/section/todayspaper) \\| [Subscribe](https://www.nytimes.com/subscriptions/Multiproduct/lp8HYKU.html?campaignId=48JQY) ## Related Content [More in Asia Pacific](https://www.nytimes.com/section/world/asia) - ![Ms. Liu during a training session at the Milan ice skating arena.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/03/02/multimedia/02BIZ-Newworld-03-vmjp/02BIZ-Newworld-03-vmjp-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Vincent Alban/The New York Times - ![The Osaka City Waterworks Bureau released a photo of the gold bars with serial numbers redacted.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/02/25/multimedia/25xp-osaka-jpcq/25xp-osaka-jpcq-square640.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) Osaka City Waterworks Bureau - ![Pauline Hanson, the leader of the One Nation party, at a rally in Brisbane, Australia, last month. 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